Are You Thankful for Jesus?

It’s that time of year again.  Thanksgiving is almost here.  Spending time with family, eating more food that you planned, watching football, and shopping the day after.

It’s also that time when we answer the question, “What are you thankful for”?  Most of us would say family, friends, our home, the food on our table, our job, our health, and so on.

If you were asked that question, would the first thing be “I’m thankful for Jesus”?  Would you proclaim your love for Christ in that way?  Christ is worth more than any material items that we have.  We should be thankful for Christ first and foremost.  If not for Jesus dying on the cross, would we have the blessings that we have because of Him?

The bible says to give thanks to God for everything.  Give thanks for the good.  Give thanks for the bad.  Give thanks that He gave His one and only Son to cover all of our sins.

This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for Jesus.   What are you thankful for?

Music Monday: Planetshakers-Nothing Is Impossible

I’ve decided to start doing something on my blog called “Music Monday”.  I’ll be sharing my favorite songs with lyrics or a video.  I love that God uses music to speak to me.

This song by the Planetshakers is such an upbeat and catchy song.  The choir (which I’m part of, even though I don’t think I can carry a note for anything), sung this song this past Sunday.  I’d been listening to it and thinking, “How can I sing a song I’m not sure I believe in at this moment?”  I was just in that kind of place.  The more I listened to it, the more it grew on me, and the more I was able to believe in the message.  By Sunday, it became one of those songs that I just love to turn up while I’m driving and sing along to.

Enjoy!

Picking Up My Mat

The last couple of weeks have been really tough for me.  I’d like to think that this season of my life is coming to an end.  Satan has put up a really good fight, really trying to pull me away from God.  I would like to think that I never gave into the enemy, but I know that I’ve listened to a number of his lies.  The thing is I know what God’s truth is to speak against the lies the enemy so often feeds into my thoughts.

This battle has been part of an intense spiritual warfare.  There have been a couple of nights that if it wasn’t for God’s grace and strength, I would have not made it through in one piece.  I’m thankful that when I am weak, He is strong.  I am thankful that when I need Him, all I have to do is call out His name and He is there.  I can tell Him anything at any time.

Just because I know God’s truths doesn’t mean that I don’t go astray.  The lies Satan wraps around me are lies that I’ve believed for many years.  Some lies are very difficult for me to get away from, and when I’m down, I’m more likely to believe them.  Isn’t that how Satan is though?

Today though, I knew I faced a decision that I had to make.  I remembered the story of Jesus healing the man at the pool.  Jesus makes a very strong command in John 5:8.  He told the man to “Get up!  Pick up your mat and walk.”  At this command, the man got up, picked up his mat, and walked.  A man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years got up and walked!  While I wasn’t an invalid, I was held down by my emotions and feelings.  They were consuming me.  I knew I had to make the choice of staying on my mat where I was miserable, or I could pick up my mat and walk with Jesus.

I knew the right choice was to pick up my mat and get to walking.  The healing that I know I need during this season isn’t going to happen if I sit and refuse anything and everything coming my way.  God is working; He is bringing people into my path, He has shown me in His Word just what I need when I am willing to open my Bible and read instead of just letting it sit on my desk.  Sitting on my mat and making excuses is not God’s plan, but His plan can’t happen unless I’m focused on Him.

Is there something keeping you on your mat?  Are you ready to pick your mat up and walk?

21-Day Challenge

I know…another post so soon?  This won’t happen often so enjoy it now!  🙂

I’m posting this because I feel so inspired to.  What is the 21-Day Challenge?  Here’s your answer.

Tiffany Thurston posted about this challenge on her blog, and I found out about it through Twitter.  God’s Word and journaling?  Together?  Reading God’s Word and journaling about it for 21 days?  Two of my favorite things together tied into a challenge?  I’m in!

There’s a link to a reading plan on Thurston’s blog, but with Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) starting up on Monday, I’ve decided to follow along with the book we’re studying this year.  My reading/writing will come from the Acts.  I’m so excited about BSF starting up again, and now adding a further depth into it with the journaling will be good for me.

The challenge is from September 9th-September 30th, but it’s never too late to start!  Join in, apply what you read to your life, and see what God shows you!

If on Twitter, use hashtag: #21dayCHALLENGE

Leave a comment if you’re joining in!

You Are Not Alone

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve written, but I finally felt the push to do so tonight.  There’s so much that I want to write about, that I feel the Lord is putting on me to write, but I haven’t followed through.

Tonight, this is weighing heavy on my heart.  This “I’m not alone” stuff.  This is me being real about my Christian walk.

Do you ever feel completely alone in a crowd, like you’re completely invisible and no one sees that you’re there?  That you’re even standing or sitting next to them?  That you are only “seen” when someone needs something?  That you just don’t matter to the people that you’re around?  I’ve felt that way many times, in all different types of settings.  Groups, get-togethers, fellowship times, and even at church.

This is a lie Satan loves to get hold of and use against me.  Constantly saying “no one cares, no one wants to listen to your problems, you’re just seeking attention, you’ll become a burden” among other things.  I’ve been told by people that I seek attention, that I need to stop self-serving, that I need to do something for others, and that I need to ask them about the things going on in their life and not always talk about myself.  Satan feeds on that and loves it.  It fuels him to use more lies against me.

So what do I do?  I believe I’m on the right path with God, doing things for others, checking to see how others are doing, and doing my best to put myself dead last in my life.  I lose touch with myself until I’m right back in that pit, wrapped in fear for speaking out truth about what’s really going on in my life.  I lie to the very people I love about what’s going on with me.  I wear a mask to hide the puffy eyes from crying, the frown from showing, the sadness from being known.  I don’t reach out for help.  I try to avoid talking about myself when I’m with a friend.  I get angry with myself when I realize that I have been talking about myself.   Isn’t that exactly where Satan wants me to be though?

Simply put, yes.  The enemy has me right where he wants me.  Now he makes me feel like I really am alone, that it’s just me and I have to deal with all of my problems on my own.  There is no one left to turn to-well, except the enemy.

God speaks Truth against each of those lies from Satan.  God promises to never leave you or forsake you.  Galatians 6:2 tells us to “carry each other’s burdens”.  I can’t carry all of my burdens while carrying the burdens of others.  I have to ask for help and it’s okay to do so.  When I’m able to see where I have gotten, He gives me the strength to reach out and will put someone in my path to ask for support.  And how can I help anyone, show anyone love the way Jesus would, if I am spiritually broken?

In all of this though, God recently spoke a very clear blessing to me, one that I had not heard before.  When I’m in those moments of not being able to turn to a person on this earth, it’s okay, because that means I have to put my complete and total faith in God.  God is my Healer, my Counselor, and my Shepherd.  He is what I have, He is all that I need. He has created us not to go through life without human interactions though, so have that in your life.  Fellowship is important!

I know that I’m never really alone.  The Bible clearly states that God will never leave me or forsake me.  God is with me no matter where I am, where I’ve been, where I’m going, what I’m doing, what I’ve done, what I will be doing.  God is there!  What a blessing that is, that He is there when I need Him.  I need something, God is there to ask, and to answer my need-of course, in the way He sees fit and of course in His timing.  God reminds me of the good I’ve done for people, the ways that I’ve given myself to help them, unselfishly.  God brings the truth, the light, into the darkness that has me surrounded.

Remember, you are not alone.  God is with you, ALWAYS.  Listen to the song “You’re Not Alone” by Meredith Andrews.  It’s my favorite song of hers, and one that I have put on repeat for a good hour or more.

One With Them

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.  – 1 Corinthians 12:26 (NIV)

Today, I found out about a ministry voicing support for Christians that face persecution for their beliefs.  The ministry is called One With Them, and is through Open Doors USA.

Can you take just a moment and imagine living in an area of the world where you are persecuted for your belief in Jesus?  In a place where you are not free to worship our Lord, but have to do so in secret? Or perhaps not allowed to worship Him at all?

Is that something that you don’t want to think about?

Thinking about hiding our beliefs isn’t always easy for us to understand.  We’re free to go to church.  We’re free to listen to Christian music.  We’re free to read the Bible just about anywhere we want to.  We are free to speak about our God.  Sure, there are places in America where we can’t always do these things, such as the workplace, but we still have the freedom.  Let us give praise for that!

I don’t know very much about the countries where these persecuted Christians live.  I don’t know what they face daily, what they struggle with.  This isn’t an area I’ve really explored.  What I do know is that it hurts to see people living for Christ, but having to do so secretly.  I can only offer prayer for those affected at this time.  If prayer is all I have, I will put my faith into know that prayer does work.

And This Is Where It Starts…

Here I go…I’m stepping out, starting this new blog, opening some doors.  All because God called me to do this.

Yes, called by God.  I recently attended a Women of Faith conference for the first time.  It was really a life changing experience.  I learned much more than I thought I would, real lessons I could apply to my life.  I gained a new perspective on where my life could go.  I realized that some things needed to change.  God had me there for a very good reason.

Everyone’s walk with Christ is unique.  We all have our own struggles as we go along.  Sometimes we step off that road of life to a broken one of death.  I’ve done it several times, but I want to stop.  I want to stay on the path of life because of all the good and wonderful things I know it holds for me.

Am I sure of where this blog is headed?  Not completely.  I’ve got a number of things that I want to write about, from my experiences and perspectives.  I want to challenge my readers by what they read, make them think about it.  This is only the start of the call I’m answering.