Morning Encouragement

I want to share with you this morning the thoughts from Steven Scott’s devotion “Jesus Speaks”.

It is one thing to read and try to understand the scriptures of the bible and a very different thing to believe the words as truth. Jesus knew that understand the words was not enough. They needed to believe in the words and who they said he was, and to also believe in the relationship between him and the father. It is no small task and it is the same for us today. While we need to understand the words of Jesus, we must first believe in the relationship between Jesus and the Father. Believing in this relationship alters everything you do. For the evidence of this belief is demonstrated by our behavior. Jesus explained to his disciple that if you can’t believe in who he is from the things he tells them, to at least believe in him because of the works he was doing.

When we believe in this truth, our entire lives are changed. Everything that we are and that we do are changed for the better. And goodness will flow out from us to others because of this belief. So believe in Him and watch him work in you.

I encourage you to close your eyes and envision Jesus walking into the room where you are standing. Can you feel His love radiating towards you? This love that He is sending your way is stronger than you can imagine and He wants surround you in it as He takes care of you. Allow Him to be part of your life.

Have a safe and blessed weekend and may to feel the love and peace of Christ in all that you do.

Week’s End Encouragement

The week is almost over and the weekend is coming – a time of rest, a time for ourselves.

Our weeks are sometimes so busy that the weekend is too short to fully rest, so Matthew reminds us of Jesus’ words to come to Him to find complete restoration regardless of our business. He is gentle and humble in heart and never forces us to come to Him but he patiently waits for us to choose to come. Once we choose to come and rely on His fatherly comfort, that’s when the battle has been won.

It is only after we have begun to experience what salvation really means, that we surrender our will to Jesus for the rest He has ready for us. And it is a voluntary surrender. Surrender in today’s mindset is a negative concept that we fight against, but Jesus reminds us of the power we gain in His surrender and the rewards he has for us.

“For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory, with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.” Oswald Chambers

Once we surrender to His will, His grace, His love and His peace, then the remainder of our life will exhibit nothing but the evidence of this surrender. And we will never need to be concerned again with what the future may hold for us, for Jesus is totally sufficient. Even though at times we may be shaking in our boots.

Even though you may feel you are alone in a snowstorm or vast desert, your tiny self is being watched over, and you will be given the strength to grow taller in His care.

And always remember to show the power of kindness. It shows your inner beauty.

Morning Encouragement

I have many devotions I read each morning. Some are here in WordPress, some are other online devotions and some are purchased books. I find them a good jump start to my day to help me focus on the Lord and not the circumstances I face that day. Today’s devotion in My Utmost for His Highest spoke exactly about that.

Oswald Chambers reminded us “If you keep your relationship right with Him, then regardless of your circumstances or whoever you encounter each day, He will continue to pour ‘rivers of living water’”.

That’s kind of an odd saying if you are not familiar with its meaning. For me it means that regardless of how desperate I may feel, the love of God is flowing in me, through me and out of me. Rivers of living water come from the attributes we receive when we follow God and are then filled by the Fruit of the Spirit.

Whatever your circumstances may be, you have been placed in them by God. And God uses the reaction of your life to your circumstances to fulfill His purpose, as long as you continue to “walk in the light as He is in the light”. Oswald Chambers

So I encourage you today, regardless of the difficulty you may be facing, let Christ’s living waters flow through you so that you can feel the peace of His love. Then let the fruit of the spirit attributes become part of you as now He is part of you. And remember in all that you do to always be kind.

Interesting Bird, Encouragement

Since I have been bird watching, I see that all creatures have slight variations even in the same specie. We humans are short, tall, fat, skinny and various shades of skin tone but…we are created by the same creator, in His image…according to how I believe.

And variation concept is true for the animal kingdom and it is how those who work with wildlife can tell the different individual animals apart, like zebra’s stripe patterns are individual. Again, same creator.

I always thought the one exception to the rule was birds. Yes you can always recognize the bird type but if you look close, there are variations. Case in point, our beloved cardinals…

This is a beautiful red cardinal from early this spring. Rich red body, red top crest and black face and neck area, large triangle beak. We are all familiar with this bird in the US. However…

Today, this cardinal stopped at the feeder.

Same size bird, the beak seems slightly larger but his color is the most striking. He is not a bright red so I don’t know if that is a seasonal change but the biggest difference is his entire head is black. And there seems to be more black than usual mixed in his tail feathers. He is still beautiful. A difference in creation I guess. I think it is a reminder to us that in God’s eye we are perfectly beautiful, even though we may look different. Even identical twins are different in subtle ways.

So I send this out to all who may read it to remind each of us that we are all special in our own creation from God for a purpose only fully known by Him. So listen to His voice as he guides you for the purposes He has just for you, so that you can enrich His kingdom and those around you. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us…

Have a safe and blessed weekend and remember to be kind in all that you do.

Weekend Encouragement

It’s Friday, the end of the work week for most. Has it been a rough week? Rest assure you were not forgotten as the week flew past you. Even though we don’t see it, God always has a plan for us.

If chaos is surrounding you, don’t let it over take you. Stop, draw in His peace and let it flow over you. You will see God’s great plan come to pass. His complete purpose can not be determined by human reasoning or understanding. We just have to trust in Him to make it all come to fruition.

Cling To God’s promises, His assurance of hope and you can be joyful and patient while the chaos swirls around you. He is holding you in His loving hand.

As you head for a hopefully restful weekend, store up some calming love and peace so the you will be strong but gentle, firm but loving and always kind. The power of the kindness you share with others will lift you as well and bring you peace.

Weekend Encouragement

The weekend is a time we try to unwind and rest from the hectic week we just had or possibly still reeling from. My devotion this morning reminded me of some of the walks I use to have when I lived in the North Carolina mountains. Since I am 1,000 miles from there now I have to go there in my mind. Come walk with me and I will take you there with words.

Its early morning. The morning fog still clings to trees around you. It’s peacefully quiet except for the few birds fluttering in the trees. It’s the perfect time to be alone with God and feel His peace.

Picture yourself by a small stream. Its deep enough where it doesn’t babble over rocks, yet it moves slowly. Its surface is smooth as glass and reflects the beauty of the forest around you. Sit here and rest in God’s love that He has just for you. Give all worries and concerns to Him and let Him carry them for you. His shoulders are much stronger than yours.

When we are calm and relaxed, it is then that the blessings of God are most beneficial because we remember who we are. We are children of God.

Always remember He is walking beside you and if needed…He will carry you. So lift praises to Him and He will cover you in peace as you walk the day together.

And in closing I remind you of the positive power of kindness. Not only does it encourage others, it encourages the beauty that is within you.

A Morning Encouragement

I enjoyed my devotion from Quiet Times with God this morning as it reminded me of how very unique each of us are. We have a tendency when seeing someone gaining success in their life to either imitate them or give up because we could never be like them. Scripture reminds us just how special we are and how each individual was purposefully made.

The more we try to be like someone else, the less we show how beautifully God created us, hindering the ability to share the gifts He gave each of us. We are handcrafted for a purpose.

We all have different shapes, different colors, different gifts…but the same God. He has poured Himself into each of us for us to be able to share His love. He created special plans for each of us so we must allow Him to use us in the ways that are uniquely us.

The things in your life that make you different are assets. Joyce Meyer

Stay encouraged in your uniqueness and let His love reflect from you to others. And remember to share kindness in all that you do. It shows the true warmth and love of God.

Early Week Encouragement

With so much happening around our world these days, we all need small bits of encouragement. We get discouraged when we do something that goes wrong, or maybe it comes from something someone else did to us. Plus its discouraging to see the disasters going on around the world. Life is hard and can be easily discouraging! But scriptures remind us that we have a helper to get us through these discouraging time even thought they may be scary times.

He helps us in so very many ways. He heals our broken bones. He heals our broken hearts. He heals our broken relationships. He carries us in His arms all because of His love for us. He is there to helps us in whatever way is needed.

It is hard sometimes in today’s world to trust in what we can’t see but scriptures reminds us, old and new testaments, that He has always been there for us and will continue to always be there for us. We were created because He loves us and wants us with Him and He will always watch out for us so keep your eyes are on Him.

Like the poem on footprints in the sand – when you see only one set of prints in the sand, its proof of Him carrying you. Always remember you are loved deeper than you will ever understand. And since you know you are loved, reflect His love by being kind – especially when underserved. It really stays with them.

How (MUCH) Do I Love Thee

This week after bible study on how we handle grief, I went on a rabbit hole review of the book of Isaiah. Chapter 43 reminds us of how God grieves when we don’t listen to Him when He reminds us, through all 66 books, how very much he loves us and created all of us for Himself – because he wants us always near Him.

In Steven Scott’s book, Jesus Speaks, we are reminded how much harder it is for us to believe in this relationship versus the disciples believing. They were there. They heard him, touched him, they saw his miracles first hand. We have to believe with out seeing.

We believe because we have faith in what the prophets and disciples have told us through the words they wrote thousands of years ago. Faith, Hope and Love are all tied together throughout all 66 books of the bible. Are these book hard to understand, sometimes, but sometimes God allows us to see with unseen eyes and hear with unheard ears the precious words of his unimaginable love that he shares with us, just for the asking. If you care to read further in this post, I wrote a quick Non-poetry on Faith. It will be the first writing of my new book entitle Faith. My current book called Hope was so poorly edited, that I can’t leave my encouragement writing with that. So, we are are going again with professional editors so that the readers experience encouragement better. And after Faith, we will have to close off the series with Love.

UNSEEN ENTITY

How is it that a creature can put its trust of life into an unseen entity?

To allow its values and the things it loves to be driven by the ideals of this unseen entity.

Integrity is a component the creature uses to measure the ideals and values of this unseen entity.

Affirmation of the unseen entity’s integrity proves the love that is always given by the unseen entity.

Final trust and hope are driving forces given to the unseen entity by the creature in the form of faith.

Faith is confidence in what we hope for. (Heb 11:1)

For we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Cor 5:7)

Faith as small as a mustard seed moves mountains. (Mat 17:20)

Assurance of faith proves God is our refuge. (Psa 46:1)

Assurance of faith reminds us we are children of God. (Rom 8:16)

Assurance of God’s love is the strength of my heart. (Psa 73:26)

In all things, God works for the good of us. (Rom 8:28)

I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. (Jer 29:11)

I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you. (Isa 41:10)

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. (Prov 3:5)

Trust helps my heart jump for joy, with song I praise him. (Psa 28:7)

Trust that He will never leave you, not forsake you. (Heb 13:5)

Hope doesn’t disappoint for God poured love into our hearts. (Rom 5:5)

Hope in the Lord will renew our strength. (Isa 40:31)

Hope of eternal life was promised by God before time began.(Titus 1:2)

For we live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

Anita

As we move about in this life, remember the opportunities we are given to show the beauty, warmth and power of Kindness and share it often.

Encouragement from Youth

Good Sunday evening friends. Today at our church we had an amazing day. Normally you hear encouraging words form me to help you understand how wonderful we are and I hope you understand God ALWAYS has a plan for each of us. Below I am sharing today’s message from one or our youth, a 14 year old young lady that has more understand of our worth than some adults that I have spoken with. I hope you take the time to open the link and hear her encouraging words. You can fast forward though the talking and singing if you just want to hear Jaylynn’s message. I truly believe you will be encourage on how very much God loves you. It is at the first part of the service.

https://fb.watch/dayXo9LIKd/

Then if you care to listen to the entire service, you will be encouraged by the Global Servant of Health, Kristy Engel as she gives a brief summary with her Mission Moment sharing her work across the world that she has been doing.

I truly hope you understand how very important all of us are because as Jaylynn reminds us, we are all made in the likeness of God.

As you begin to understand the beauty of your creation, remember also the beauty of kindness and always be kind.