Never lose Faith

This past year…how in the world to describe it?!?  It’s been long and hard…sometimes painful and even crushing.  It was a year that started out very dark and full of heartache and if I’m being totally honest there were days that I really wasn’t sure if I could go on.  However, it has also been one of the most joyous, life changing, faith grounding and spiritually growing years of my life.  I have become very much grounded in God and His word through the ups and downs of this past year. 

            It’s been a year where I’ve had things and people taken away from me, where others have walked into my life with genuine love and blessings and still others that have always been there shown through both strong and beautifully.  I’ve learned a lot about myself and other people, but most importantly about my relationship with God.   I’ve learned that even when I have felt or thought that I’ve had the best intentions in mind…it’s not always my place to say or do anything except trust God.   

            There have been many things that I’ve wanted to get my little fleshly hands on to “fix” or “make better”…and even some still, but God has taught me to be still and trust Him.  I have no problem with telling you that it has not been an easy road to travel, but through prayer, tears and much meditation I’m making it through.  I can honestly say it’s been a year that I am thankful for both the good and the bad because it has begun to shape me into what God has called me to be.

            There have been many new and wonderful additions to my life and that of my family; from our prayer board that hangs in the playroom to the 25 days of Christmas that we enjoyed during the month of December.  We have seen firsthand the awesome healing hands of God on my step-son.   We were also blessed to find and become a part of a church that is not only on fire for God, but totally desires that all its members not just attend church but “BE” the church.   God has blessed me with many ideas that have helped us to spiritually grow and still many more that I pray to bring to life soon.         

It is my true hope that I, as well as my family, will continue on this upward journey that God has placed before us.  I know that there will be times where we’ll fall and even times where we may feel like giving up; but through our faith, love for God and trust in Him…we will press on in His name because He will never fail us.      

For the last two years I have not made any “New Year’s resolution”, but instead have vowed to just do better.  I want to be a better wife, better mother and better friend, but most importantly a better child of God.  It is my prayer that God will continue to do His good work that He has started in me until the day that Jesus returns.  I know not everything is the way “I” want or think it should be, but it’s all happening according to God’s plan for my life. 

As I sit and type this a very large smile graces my face…I truly am blessed beyond any of my feeble attempts to try and describe it.  I am a child of the Most High God who loves, knows and takes care of me better than I could ever imagine.  For that I am truly grateful and give God all the praise.  Yes…this past year has been a road full of ups and downs…gains and losses, but in and through it all one thing I can certainly say that I have never lost…is my faith! 

I am truly looking forward to the New Year and what God has in store for both me and my family.  I pray that this coming year for all of you is prosperous, blessed and full of opportunities for you to shine God’s light and love through your own lives.  Have a safe and blessed Happy New Year. 

                 

Merry Christmas

 Matthew 1:21 (NLT) ²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

 

     Too often this day is thought of in terms of gifts wrapped in paper stuffed under the largest tree we can fit into our house, stocking stuffed with tiny trinkets and candy; as well as food, fun and family.  Now don't get me wrong all those things are truly wonderful and special, but there is so much more to this day.  On this day, oh so long ago, we were blessed with the greatest gift we will ever receive.  It's a gift of life...not just the life of our Holy and worthy Jesus, but this day God blessed us with the only life that could save our lives. 

     This is the day that Jesus made His beautiful entrance into this sinful world that He may walk among us in flesh and experience what we experience in this life.  God's word, the word that He blessed us with to teach us and guide us through life became flesh in Jesus Christ.  Jesus lived among His people so that He would experience the things we experience, feel them as we feel them, see them as we see them.  So when our test and trials come and we call on Him...He will know just what we are going through. 

     This is a day of true thanksgiving...a day where we should be ever grateful and full of Praise for God's awesome love for us.  The day that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, was born.  No matter how hard we try...no matter how much money we spend....and no matter how crafty we think our ideas for happiness wrapped in wrapping paper are; we will never be able to top that.  We can't out give the greatest giver we are blessed to know. 

     My prayer for you and your family today, is that before you start  your busy day, before you open a gift or eat the wonderful spread...that you will take a moment and say a prayer.  Thank God for the blessing, changing and saving life of Jesus Christ. 

I wish all of  you a day filled with love, joy and laughs...and a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Why worry so much?

Luke 12:25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his  span of life?

I used to worry ALL the time…about any and everything; I would stress any particular situation to the max.  I’ll worry did I say this the right way…will I be able to do this…should I say this or will it offend someone.  I would, sometimes still do, actually worry to the point of getting sick to my stomach and having a migraine headache by the end of the day.  Then when the time comes or it’s all said and done it wasn’t as bad as I thought and even if it was what did my worrying do to help? 

It’s crazy how I will know something is coming or know I have to do something and will run every possible scenario through my mind.  How I’ll do this or that?  I’ll even run possible conversations that may occur through my mind.  If this person says this, then I’ll say that and by the time I’m finished I’ve run close to three different conversations through my mind…good grief.  Truly, it gets me nothing and nowhere but heartache, irritation and even angry at something that hasn’t even taken place yet and my not at all.  And, more often than not it ends up turning out different than I even thought it would in the first place. According to God’s word my worrying can fix nothing…yet, I’ve done it anyway. 

You see, the problem with worrying is not only the stress that it causes us, but we're rehearsing what we would say, what we would do and how we would fix this or that in our minds without even looking to God.  By doing this we’re taking matters into our own hands and leaving God out of the equation; often times ending up with a less than desirable outcome.  When we feel ourselves worrying and running over this and that we need to learn to stop, take a moment and pray for God’s peace and direction.

It’s so important for us, myself included, to understand that anything we are able to do is because of God and without Him, we are lost.  We can ask Him to help us give the situation to Him and pray that He will guide our steps, every step of the way.  Trust me I do understand that this is so much easier said than done, but the more we realize we’re doing it and stop to pray the more natural it will become.  The more natural it becomes the more we trust God and worry less…and that is a great place to be!!  Who needs all that stress, especially when we don’t really have total control of it all anyway!?!

Now, by no means am I saying that we shouldn’t plan ahead or think things through because we can certainly get ourselves into trouble if we don’t.  It’s the overthinking and wondering how we need to do this and that to the point of causing ourselves even more confusion than we had to start off with.  God wants us to use our common sense, just not to think we have all the answers and worry about what may or may not happen all the time.

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

            Once we truly learn to trust God with our issues, whether big or small, we can know that they will always turn out for our good…not always easy, but for our good.  We’ll find ourselves quicker to pray and ask God what to do than to torture and stress ourselves with worry over what may or may not happen.  I think too often we forget that wonderful peace that God offers us….that peace that can keep us even in the middle of a storm.  It’s a peace that doesn’t wish the bad away, but instead knows we can stand through the storm because He is with and for us. It truly doesn’t get any better than that!!

Walking in Love

Sometimes it’s very hard to be what and who we are supposed to be at all times, especially when others around us are acting in ways that affect us.  Whether they are treating you badly simply because they don’t like you or maybe they have misjudged you.  Or…maybe the shoe is on the other foot and someone did something to upset you and now you’re acting out of sorts.  Either way, God calls us to be a certain way no matter what others are doing and no matter what is going on around us.  We can’t let others and their actions, moods or situations dictate how we act or live our own lives. 

Galatians 1:10 (TLB) ¹⁰ You can see that I am not trying to please you by sweet talk and flattery; no, I am trying to please God. If I were still trying to please men I could not be Christ’s servant.

I’ve lived through some very difficult things and have had to deal with some very difficult people in my life, but I have been determined to still be who and what God created me to be and walk in love.  I’ve often been asked how can I smile in someone’s face and act like nothing is wrong when they’ve done or said something behind my back.  My answer is simple… first, I am called to forgive and second I’m not living my life to please them.  I’m not going to do everything right and often when walking with God you will have more than your share of nay sayers and back stabbers, but we still must live according to God’s love. 

Because my God loves and forgives me and tosses my sins to the sea, so must I with everyone who hurts, offends or disrespects me.  His love, forgiveness and kindness are etched on my heart because that is what He requires of me and He blesses me with daily.  Now on the flip side I’m sure I have been that difficult person, I certainly don’t get it right all the time either.  In fact, I know I’ve thrown a side eye, stayed upset a bit longer than I should have and even run my silly mouth more than I should have too…but, once I notice it I do my best to seek God’s forgiveness and that of the other person.  Where would I be if my God didn’t forgive and turn the other cheek with me when I stray, hurt or offend Him? 

Leviticus 19:18 (NLV) ¹⁸ Do not hurt someone who has hurt you. Do not keep on hating the sons of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

When we are wronged we have two choices, forgive as God forgives us or carry it around and suffer ourselves for lack of forgiveness.  God requires that we forgive many, many times over.  Now, I realize this still sometimes means we must walk away, but to not forgive is truly to our own downfall.  When we wrong someone else…we have two similar choices.  We can keep on as if nothing happen and allow the hurt and confusion to fester and grow deeper and deeper or we can apologize and ask that person’s forgiveness.  But, again…the outcome is the same when we fail to act as God calls us to, it is to our own downfall and misery.

We can’t control others and how they treat us, but we can control ourselves and how we treat them.  Of course this doesn’t always mean it comes out the way we want or expect it to, but we’ve done what God has required of us and can rest in that.  I would rather live my life forgiving and asking for forgiveness; knowing I’m pleasing God, than to walk around upset, angry or in discord with others; knowing this is not God’s will for me and my life.

Family Growth 7:What’s the real meaning?

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NLT) ⁶ For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

I sometimes think we truly forget the real reason for the season…sure we will say “Jesus is the reason for the season”…but, how often are we truly living it...myself included?  How much of the Christmas season is spent shopping verses spreading God’s love or how much of it is spent decorating verses Praising God for His most precious gift to the world?  Don’t get me wrong…I love a good deal as much as the next person and I love for my house to look and smell like Christmas too, but more and more I’m realizing that is truly not what it’s about. 

Yesterday I started a new idea and tradition at my house that God blessed me with about a week or so ago; I call it the 25 days of Christmas.  I bought each of my children and my husband a small box and placed them above the fireplace on the mantel.  I called them all into the living room to explain to them what they were all about.  I told them that each morning until Christmas day they will find a note inside the box.  This note will consist of reasons why they are so loved by God and how important and special they really are and also how important it is to spread God’s love to those they encounter.   

My prayer is that through this they will not only learn their truth worth in God, but most importantly that this time of year is about Jesus and His wonderful birth.  That because of Him we can be saved and adopted into His Royal family as children of God!  Some notes will be simple little things about what they do well and how they make others smile and others will include scripture to teach them about God and His plans for their lives.  I am also hoping they learn from this how important it is to be God’s hands and feet here on earth and to lift people up with loving words, kind gestures and scripture.  They were all very excited about this as smiles crossed all their faces, which brought a huge smile to my heart. 

After we came home from church, my oldest, Sade’ retreated to her room for a bit and later reappeared with a small box in her hands and gave it to me.  I looked at her and asked what was this…she told me to open it.  I did and inside was a neatly folded note for me.  I almost started crying…then once I read the note I did start to cry.  Part of my prayer had already been answered.  My baby girl realized how special and important this is and she didn’t want me to miss out; she wanted me to experience this too.  She is being God’s messenger for me and I truly can’t express how this makes me feel…as I sit here now and type this I’m ready to cry again. 

I am so very thankful that God gives me these ideas and shows me how to carry them out, I am thankful for how much my children and husband appreciate them and I’m even more thankful that they are making an impact on our lives as well as others.  It brings the greatest joy and peace to my heart to know that my family is wrapped in His arms and that we willingly and happily want to know more about Him.  We are blessed more than mere words could ever express and He deserves our time, attention and Praise just simply for loving us the way that He does. 

My prayer for you and your family is that you too will remember the true reason behind Christmas and try to bring that wonderful joy to someone else.  Through a kind word, a loving hug or even a much needed prayer, those are the gifts that truly mean something.