Accept The Gift Of Forgiveness

"Forgiveness isn't just a blessing you deliver to another human being. Forgiveness is also a gift you give yourself." Robin Sharma

It's not an easy thing to forgive someone who has deeply hurt us. It can be harder, still, to learn to forgive ourselves. Resentment is something the devil enjoys encouraging in our hearts, but if we let it consume us, we are allowing the thing that hurt us to have more power over our lives. It's so important to find a way to forgive, even if it is a long process. We should never give up seeking God's healing and striving towards forgiveness. It may seem impossible now, but if you continue to pray and ask for God's strength, He has the power to guide you through to a place of peace. Don't let resentment hinder your growth and peace- ask God to help you forgive today.

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32

Journey on!

Believe

We read in the Bible that "with God all things are possible." (Matt 19:26) But as followers of Christ, do we truly claim this promise? Deep down, do we really believe that God has a special plan for us...that when we seek Him and do His will, miraculous things can happen? As children of the all-powerful, loving Father, we are capable of doing incredible things, and God indeed has a wonderfully unique plan for our lives! With the power of God, we can have confidence in our steps. We need only to believe and have faith that He knows what is best. Jesus said it this way:

"...I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20

Lean on His power, claim His promise. Pray with confidence. Have faith and be prepared to witness remarkable things!

Journey on!

Experience His Glory

When you hit the snooze on your alarm and you lie awake in bed, seek the Lord's face as you prepare for your day. Read His word…study it when you have moments to yourself or can focus among others. Pray with your breath, your words, your actions, your attitude. Listen when others around you speak words of encouragement, love, or advice, knowing that God has put them in your path. Our wisdom grows when we allow God to penetrate every aspect of our lives. Our understanding comes when we choose to focus through a God-lens. What is God speaking to your heart today? Have you stopped to listen? He is goodness, mercy, light, strength, and so much more. Embrace Him in a real way today and experience His glory.

“My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:2-3

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Rely on God

It’s a great feeling when you get your very first paycheck. You feel such a sense of accomplishment...your first taste of financial independence. As we continue on into adulthood, it’s easy to place our sense of self-worth in our successes: we find the perfect spouse, have kids, advance in our careers, or buy a dream home. At the same time, we put ourselves down based on our failures. Things don’t work out the way we planned, we lose a job, or get a divorce, and we begin to feel unworthy. The problem with placing our self-worth into the hands of our successes and failures is that we are relying completely on ourselves. The focus is on “me.” What “I” accomplished or what “I” failed to do.

The truth is, we are worthy because we are GOD’S children. We are blessed with successes because of God’s awesome love, and we are still loved and forgiven through our failures because of God, too. We have to start taking ourselves out of the equation and understand that we can’t ever do or be "enough." We HAVE to rely on God! When we do, we can see ourselves through HIS eyes. We have self-worth because of His grace and love. We can be free to live a life honoring Him instead of trying so hard to succeed on our own. Learn to let go of yourself, and rely on Him this week!

“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.” 2 Corinthians 3:5

Journey on!

Expect the Unexpected

“If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

I like to have a good idea of where I am headed. I am a planner, and I like to see the steps ahead coming before I get there. One of the things that comforts me the most is my gps! It sounds crazy, but knowing that I will be told where to turn and what to do before I get to a fork in the road brings me a lot of peace. Life doesn't always cooperate with me on this. Sometimes, my battery dies, or I lose signal. My perfectly laid plans get completely derailed because someone got sick or the weather is bad, or an event is canceled. As much as I wish I could, we can't see everything around the bend. But we have a God who does see the big picture- a God we can trust wholeheartedly! When we recognize that life will always throw us curveballs, and we put our trust in God to see us through, we can have peace even in the unexpected, because we know He loves us so much.

He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. Psalm 112:7

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Do Something Big

"We all have ability. The difference is how we use it." -Stevie Wonder

God has created you for a purpose. He has given you special gifts and talents to use in this world! Sometimes the hard part is understanding how all of our talents, interests, and abilities are going to come together and serve a purpose in His kingdom. Usually these answers don't appear all at once, but He will reveal His plan for your life in small whispers, open doors, and answered prayers...in His own perfect timing! We need to pray and ask God to help us accomplish the things He has planned, and then trust Him to bless us as we step out in faith. We can't let fear stop us from pursuing the things God has placed on our hearts! Even when we might feel a strong calling from God to do something, that fear can cause us to hesitate. We think of a hundred reasons why it can’t be done. But keep praying and take those leaps of faith! Nothing is impossible for God, and if He lays something on your heart to do, trust Him and try. He will bless you for putting your faith in Him, even if it doesn’t turn out exactly as you planned. His plans are perfect and He will guide your steps if you listen and are willing to follow His direction. Start making a difference in this world today!

“I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” Jeremiah 32:27

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Living for the Lord

"If you have integrity, nothing else matters.
If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters." ~Alan Simpson

Sometimes the pressures of life wear us down. I find that in the moments when I am most exhausted, I feel the strongest temptations to give in to sin. We all struggle, but when we are weary, that's when Satan attacks. We need to make sure that even in our busiest seasons of life, we make time to find rest- physically, mentally and spiritually! We need to take breaks. Pour into God's word. Pray and bring all our stresses and frustrations to God. We have to allow the Lord to bring us peace in every area of our lives so that when the hard things come, we stand firm in our faith and act with integrity. Having a balanced life is so important! What can you do to invite God into every area of your life this week? How can you embrace His peace so that you can live a life that is pleasing and glorifying to Him?

"And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good." 2 Thessalonians 3:13

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Awe-Inspiring God

"God dwells in His creation and is everywhere, indivisibly present in all His works. He is transcendent above all His works, even while He is immanent within them." A.W. Tozer

Who is like our God? Is there anything in all of creation that can compare to His glory? The psalms spend many verses trying to capture the beautiful essence of His presence, but even those immaculate stanzas cannot fully capture the wonder and greatness of our God. He is stronger than any of our enemies, more loving than the closest earthly family, and He is able to cleanse us from any sin we could conjure up. What did we do to deserve such an incredible Father? The answer is nothing...we don’t deserve Him. But God loves us so much that He wants to bless us, longs to free us, loves to hold us…not because we deserve it, but because we are His precious children. This week, meditate on the majesty that is our God, and praise His awesome name as you live each day in His grace.

“Praise the name of the Lord.
 For the Lord is high above the nations;
 his glory is higher than the heavens.

Who can be compared with the Lord our God,
who is enthroned on high?”

Psalm 113:3-5

Journey on!

Show Mercy

"Always forgive your enemies- nothing annoys them so much." Oscar Wilde

It's not always easy to forgive, especially in cases where the offender hasn't apologized. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:20 that showing compassion to your enemy is like "heaping burning coals on his head." This reference was to indicate that not only would the enemy feel a burning guilt over his actions, but he would possibly even repent. There was an ancient Egyptian ritual in which a guilty party had to carry a basin of heated coals on his head as a sign of repentance. I don't know if that is what Paul was referencing, but the idea is the same either way- when we show compassion and forgiveness, we honor God. We put our enemies to shame. And hopefully, through this act of mercy, the offender will be stirred to repentance. But even if this person who has wronged you does not ever make it right, apologize, treat you how you should be treated...by forgiving that person, you are allowing yourself to be free! Holding onto a grudge hurts you more than your enemy. Are there people in your life that you need to forgive? Pray about it and let God start working in your heart today.

"Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:12-13

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Power in Prayer

“But I say his reign of terror stops here. Stops now. He might keep coming, but he won’t have victory anymore. Because it all starts failing when we start praying.” - Priscilla Shirer

I love this powerful quote. In it, Shirer is referring to the hold that Satan has over our lives- a power he only gets to keep if we let him. She says that through the mighty power of prayer, the Lord works wonders and allows us to overcome our enemy. Are you feeling spiritually attacked this week? I find that it's when I am the most tired, busy, and frustrated that Satan tries to feed me messages like, "God doesn't care about you." Before those moments of weakness ever hit, I need to immerse myself in prayer. I need to pray daily that God will protect my heart, mind, and soul. And when those doubts creep in, or I am faced with temptation, I need to stop what I am doing and pray. If we truly believe that our God is above all things, that He loves us, and that He is with us, then we need to stay connected to Him through prayer! When we don't know what to do, He is our Rock. When we are going through tough times, He is our provision. Even when we stumble, He is our Salvation. Whatever you are going through this week, bring it to the One who holds it all in His hands.

"The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16

Journey on!

Purpose in Your Story

“There is an appropriate way to use your story, not as an excuse but as a testimony to God's ability to free you from the past.” -Andy Stanley

Most of us have been hurt at some point in our past. We've faced incredibly difficult situations. Some of us choose to rise up from the ashes, while others allow their pasts to haunt them for many years. When life has dealt us a number of bad cards, it is easy to look for someone to blame. We might let anger, bitterness, and resentment permeate our lives.

Your story is important. Your hurts are valid. Your life matters deeply. And it's okay to take time to wrestle with difficult emotions and cry out to God. But don't let the rest of your life be strangled by your past! When we let our past dictate everything about our future, we miss out on the grace, peace and redemption that God has for us! By seeking ways to heal from our past and move forward, we become vessels of God's light to the world. We show others through our testimony that we have been in the darkness and come out of it shining! What things from your past still need to heal? What story can you share with others to give hope to those around you in similar situations? If you let God work in your life, your past becomes a story of overcoming, of strength, and of hope!

"Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul." Psalm 66:16

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Don't Give Up

"We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again." 2 Cor 1:8-10

When I read this letter Paul wrote, it reminds me that in the midst of all the stress I am facing, God is my strength! Sometimes the pressures of life seem too much, and I find myself thinking, "I can't do all of this!" But the fact is, I can do everything through the Lord..and when I fully rely on God, I recognize which things are most important and which things I need to take off of my plate. Just by laying it all down at His feet, I find peace, discernment, wisdom, and strength to move forward. Life doesn't feel so overwhelming when I rely on God instead of my own power. What can you lay at His feet today?

Journey on!

Waiting for Answers

"We must walk through God's process before we see His fulfilled promise." -Lysa Terkeurst

Sometimes when we want something so desperately, it can seem like God just isn't listening when our desires don't pan out. We wonder how He could ignore such deep, imploring prayers. We may even begin to question whether God cares at all. It is in these difficult waiting times that we must draw even closer to God. He loves us more than we could ever imagine, so if He is saying no to something, or not yet, then we need to trust in His wisdom. We don't know the big picture the way He does. He has a beautiful, perfect plan for us and we may think we know what that should look like, but it's often very different than we imagine. Bring God your frustrations, your sorrows and your fears. Let God draw you deeper into His presence and grow you through this waiting process. Believe in Him that His ways are higher than our ways, and that He only wants the best for His children. As we find a way to be patient with His process, we can begin to see the path towards His promise. Keep trusting, my friend. He knows exactly what you need.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

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Choose Compassion

"Compassion is not a virtue- it's a commitment. It's not something we have or don't have- it's something we choose to practice." Brene Brown

Some people have a natural awareness of others around them. They are always the first one to realize when someone is having a hard day, or the first to offer a helping hand.

It's easy to see people like that and think that we just aren't wired that way. Maybe it's not our first response to go out of our way to show compassion, so we let others do it who are "good" at it. But the truth is, we are all capable of compassion!

And how you show kindness and empathy doesn't have to look the same as the way someone else does it. God has gifted you with unique abilities and strengths. How can you use those qualities to be more compassionate to others around you this week? We ALL have the ability to show love, compassion and kindness.

Take time this week to intentionally practice these things. Commit to reaching out to others and see how much it blesses your life when you are a blessing to those around you.

"... show mercy and compassion to one another." Zechariah 7:9

Journey on!