Gift of Grace

"The voice of sin is loud, but the voice of forgiveness is louder." Dwight L. Moody 

It can be difficult to accept God's grace. We feel guilty. We feel like we've fallen too many times. If this were a job, we'd be fired by now! The burden and shame of our guilt causes our spiritual vision to be clouded. When this happens, we forget to pay attention to the truth that matters- God loves us and forgives us. He is compassionate and full of mercy. While our sin angers and hurts Him, it doesn't ever make Him stop loving us. And when we turn back and ask for forgiveness, He gives it freely and without condemnation! Look at the story of the adulterous woman in John 8. Jesus tells her, "neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more." (vs. 11) God doesn't want us to live with shame- He wants us to lay down all our burdens and sins and accept His grace and forgiveness. He wants us to live our lives in His fullness. If you are holding on to shame, leave it at His feet today and experience the mercy and love He is offering to you.

The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him." Daniel 9:9 

Journey on!

All We Need

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not.” 
― Ann Brashares

Do you ever think to yourself, "If only I had more money, then I could be happy." I think we all face times when we wish we had just a little bit more- enough to get out of debt, take a vacation, do more with our business, buy new clothes, send our kids to private schools. The possibilities of what we could do with "more" seem endless. But when we focus on all the things we don't have, we forget to appreciate the incredible number of things we do. It isn't wrong to want things or work towards goals, but it is not beneficial to allow our desires for more to ruin our attitudes, make us envious of others, or turn us bitter and ungrateful. If you find yourself feeling frustrated because of something you are lacking, remember this verse: 

 "Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." Psalm 34:10b

How can you keep yourself from feeling ungrateful and wanting more, more, more? By being thankful. Take time out this week to really focus on every blessing God has given you. Count the ways He has shown His love to you. When we focus on His amazing blessings, we can't help but be content, because we have all we need in Him. 

Journey on!

A Morning Prayer

God, when I wake in the morning, help me to take a deep breath and pause before I even get out of bed. Help me remember what a blessing it is to be alive...to know that every step I take today, You will be with me. I want to start my days, not with the alarm and the emails and the to-do lists, but with YOU. Thank you, God, that You are stronger than anything I face and that my hope is in You. I will lean on You when I struggle today, and I will give thanks in my heart for the blessings that come my way. Help me to see the world through Your eyes and love others intentionally. Show me how I can grow today. Teach me new things about Your Word and about Your love. You are my Rock, and I put my trust in You.

"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." Psalm 61:2

Journey on!

You Lord

When I take a breath and wonder how I'm going to get through the day, it is You Lord who sustains me and fills me with hope. When work piles up and deadlines approach, it is You who gives me strength to persevere. When the world throws me curveballs and I can't see the solution, it is You who knows the future and You in whom I trust. Thank you my God for being all I need. I praise your Holy Name. 

"Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise." Jeremiah 17:14

Journey on!

Matters of the Heart

"Fill your heart with God's Word and you will have no room for Satan's lies." -unknown

What we fill our hearts with matters. The world gives us plenty of things to think about and plenty of messages for our brains to sort through everyday. Some of it is beautiful and edifying, and some of it is ugly and damaging. We have to have the wisdom to decide what things we will allow into our hearts. And we can find that wisdom and truth in God's word. When we keep His word fresh in our minds and hearts, it's easier to combat the negative things that life throws our way. It doesn't mean we won't hurt or have difficulty, but it means that the tough things in life don't have to destroy us! We can hold firm in our faith and trust in God. We can find comfort and peace in His encouraging words. We can resist temptations more effectively if we focus on the promises of God and His love. So much of what we wrestle with in our hearts can be positively dealt with by reading God's word. Take time often to read scripture and guard your heart and mind in Him. His living word keeps speaking new things to us all the time.

"Above all else, guard your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23

Journey on!

His

"May you never forget who you are. May you never forget why you are here. And may you always remember to which kingdom you belong." Bob Hoskins

You aren't on this journey alone. There are times it may feel that way, though! Sometimes in difficult moments I wonder if God really is listening to me. I wonder if He cares...if He sees me at all. But I know the truth in my heart- He is my Father, and I am His child. Every facet of my life matters to Him. Every smile that crosses my lips brings Him joy, and every tear I shed touches His heart. Do not let the silence be mistaken for emptiness. Do not believe the lie that you have been forgotten. Know that you are His. You belong to Him and He holds you even when you don't realize it. He is love in its purest form, unconditional, and no matter how much the world shifts and confuses you, you are never, ever alone! Hold onto that truth. Remember all He has done for you before and will do again. Never lose sight of your identity in God, even when it seems lost. You belong to Him, and nothing can ever change that! You are His.

"...O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you." Isaiah 43:1-2

Journey on!

Count Your Blessings

“It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor. ” -Seneca

We have been blessed with so many amazing gifts. Sometimes those gifts are overshadowed by our desire to have the things we don't have. We're all like this sometimes! We wish we had just a little more...but even when we receive it, that bar gets raised, and we want even more. We don't always realize when it happens, either. The "grass is always greener" mentality is such an easy thing to get sucked into when we see flashy advertisements, or admire people's lives on social media, or we simply feel a void because we don't have something we really want. It's only when we turn our focus to God that we see how incredibly rich we already are, because of God's love. He is all we need. He loves us and cares about our lives. When we take time daily to pray and thank God for the gifts we HAVE, it's easier to be content! What blessings can you see in your life? Take some time this week to really count your blessings and focus on contentment. I think you will find that living a thankful, content life brings a lot of joy and peace!

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

Journey on!

Love Yourself

"Be kinder to yourself. And then let your kindness flood the world." P. Chodron

Too many people walk around everyday having no idea how much they matter. I truly believe the enemy uses self-doubt and low self-esteem to lie to us, and in our fear of failure we believe it. If you are feeling like you aren't good enough, like you aren't worthy, please here this today: You were created in God's image; He utterly and unabashedly adores you. You were created for a purpose. You are His child! If you open your heart to Him, He will begin to heal every hurt in your heart and show you the truth about how amazing you really are. Print this verse below and read it to yourself every time you doubt that you are a chosen child of God. You are his masterpiece! Know this, believe it, trust in Him, and spread the message of His love to others so they can understand how much they matter, too. 

"For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Ephesians 2:10

Journey on!

Live in the Lord

Our journey with God is a lifelong pursuit. We don't accept Christ and then forget about it...we don't show up on a Sunday and call it good. If we want to live the way God has called us to live, our journey must be a daily walk with God. We don't do this to mark off a checklist or make sure our works are somehow "good enough"- no! We chase after God's heart daily because of how much He has loved us, and how much we love Him. We know and believe that God's ways are perfect, so we spend our days chasing and imitating His love. We practice kindness, show self-control, speak truth in love, stand up for those who are weak, and give to those in need. We will always struggle with sin, and have days where we fail, but we will never give up pursuing God and making an effort to be like Him. If you've been in a spiritual rut lately, remember you were created for a divine purpose. Remember how much God adores you and wants you to represent Him in this world. Pray that He will refresh your soul, renew your spirit, and help you live your life to the fullest in Him. 

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8 (ESV)

Journey on!

Think Positive

You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind. 

- Joyce Meyer

What a great quote! If we want to start living life to the fullest in God and make a positive impact on others, it all starts in our hearts. Sure, life isn't always easy and our attitudes and emotions aren't always going to be bright. But that doesn't mean we should spend every moment of our lives being negative! Too many people get caught up in a negative rut without even realizing it. Our hearts, minds and souls are too valuable to subject to constant negativity. The bible says it this way:

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. 

- Proverbs 4:23

The discouraging messages we tell ourselves, the negative attitudes we keep...all those things bring us down and don't point us to Jesus. And they don't point others to Him, either! Do a heart check this week and see if you are in a negative rut. If you are, pray that God will lift the things that are burdening you and help you stay focused on the blessings He has to offer. You might find it makes you feel so much lighter!

Journey on!

Joyful, Patient, Faithful

We know that God is always with us when the skies are the bluest and the sunlight warms our souls. He wraps His arms around us when the world seems harsh and overwhelming. He comforts us in our tears. He rejoices over us in our happiest moments. But how should we respond? We know that our lives will be filled with mountains and valleys, and God will be constant in those times. What can we do to follow His example and be able to praise him in the good times and bad? The Bible gives a great response to that question:

 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12

Print this verse and post it somewhere where you will see it this week, and focus on following God's example of faithfulness in all circumstances.

Journey on!

Courage

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." --Nelson Mandela

We all go through times when we feel afraid. Sometimes fear helps us by alerting us to something dangerous and keeping us safe. But many times our fear is simply because something is out of our control. How do we face life's uncertainties? How do we stare at situations that seem overwhelming and find courage and strength? We put our trust in God. We are all going to feel fearful at times, but when we can take that fear and lay it at the feet of God, we can find strength in Him. He will give you peace, wisdom, patience, courage, and hope like never before. Sometimes for me it requires giving my fears to Him daily, even hourly. Prayer and scripture are great ways to find courage in Him. Allow God to help you conquer your fears and give you everything you need to face the future with courage.

‘But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”’  Matthew 14: 27

Journey on!

God Over All

We have such an awesome, powerful God! He cares about every detail of our lives. We are His children and He loves us. We find ourselves worrying over our lives, how we will pay a bill, where we will find a job, whether our health will improve...but God is always there. Nothing we face is too big for Him! That doesn't mean we won't face hardships, but it does mean that whatever we go through, we have God taking care of us. He is the living God, the creator of all things, and He is on our side! Everyday as you face new challenges, remember who is in control. There is nothing impossible for Him!

I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27 NIV)

Journey on!

You are His Child

Being a child of God means never facing life on your own. It means not living in fear and not worrying about doing "enough" or being "enough." It means being a part of a family that you will walk beside, encourage, and journey with hand-in-hand. Accepting Christ means you don't have to carry guilt. Remember who you are in Christ Jesus. Remember that you can never separate yourself from His love! Don't let the world beat you down and tell you that you aren't enough. You are HIS. And He is your rock through all things!

"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone." Ephesians 2:19-20

Journey on!