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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Too often Christians will over think and stress on doing what they think is needed and then will miss out on the joy of being with God. Randy’s message Sunday about stress was reflected again in my devotion tonight about this self-imposed stress. The devotion mentions how we get so stress over doing the right thing for the kingdom so we can “bear fruit” that we miss the point. Bearing fruit is a term in the scriptures to show we are following Christ and sharing His love for the kingdom. But bearing fruit has very little to do with how hard we are working and everything to do with how well we are connected with Jesus. The devotion book “Jesus Speaks” by Steven Scott, reminds us that for any branch to have life that will produce fruit, it must first have sap. The life-giving sap flows up through the vine, then out to the branches. Scripture reminds us that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. If we are not connected to the branch, we will not gain the life-giving sap.
The only way out spiritual life can bear fruit is to stay connected to Christ and His words. Our purpose is to bear fruit for the kingdom, with some being planters, and some being waterers but none of it will be able to be done if we are not connected to the vine. The scriptures are our connecting tissue to the vine where His Spirit flows. And as long as we stay connected to His words we will receive the life-giving sap from above.
When we do not have the life-giving sap, we can not plant or water…or share His love and that is our goal. And eventually our connection may harden and be of little use.
For when we are able to share His love, by sharing His truths, and bearing fruit, then God will be glorified. It doesn’t matter if we were the sower, the waterer, the encourager, the friend, or the total stranger that is sharing God’s love, we will all get to rejoice with those who reap the benefits of that shared love. So stay connected and watch God work.
Have a safe and blessed week and be kind in all that you do.
Good morning friends. Today is bitter cold here in the Midwest BUT…it’s the last day of bitter cold. Even though we did not get the normal amount of snowfall this season, we did get abnormally longer spans of bitter cold. But spring will arrive victoriously like the warmth and love that God gives us daily. Winter’s cold did not overtake us, and we can use this thinking for all of our trials. God’s warm love can help us overcome any cold challenge that we may face.
We are super-victors with a joy that comes from experiencing the very things which look as if they are going to overwhelm us. Oswald Chambers
The underlying foundation of the Christian faith is the undeserved, limitless miracle of the love of God that was exhibited on the Cross of Calvary; a love that is not earned and can never be. Oswald Chambers
It is also a love that can never be taken away. however, we can refuse it and walk away in our own stubbornness…but why would we do that? This love is the love that catches us when we feel like we are falling, a love that comforts us when we feel as though the world has forgotten us, a love that warms us when we feel cold right down to our core. This amazing love can never be taken away from us.
So relax in the love of God. Feel His warm love surround you. He’s got this, you will be fine. And as you share in the love and kindness of God, remember to share it with others. Kindness carries an unimaginable beauty.
Good Saturday afternoon friends. Come in an enjoy my quirky humor and my real encouragement for today. You know how some commercials you see, just kind of stick with you? I am not trying to promote this company but this commercial is priceless. Plus it shows the simplicity of life – and the value of peanut butter.
Too many times we humans make life complicated. We want things we can’t have, things we don’t NEED and make poor choices in pursuing those things. Then we want to know why we are miserable when they don’t come to fruition. The old adage of putting the cart before the horse.
Scripture reminds us all the time about what our goals should be, regardless of our current station or on which side of the cart we placed the horse.
BUT…don’t you love it when a statement or thought says exactly what you are wanting to hear, then there is a but that shows the leaving out any conditions that may go with said statement. Yes, God does want us to have our hearts desires as long as those desires fall in line with the plans He has for us. He always has a plan for us.
There are people all over this world at different levels of success and we are to use our success regardless of level of life to remind the world around us of the beauty of God, especially the level or act seems insignificant. Think of the widow and her mite…she was probably below poverty level, yet she gave humbly of what she had. And she has been remembered for thousands of years for that. She did not feel any powerful at her level but look at the power of her testimony.
If you were able to see the video I posted at the top, all Ralph cared about was the peanut butter. He didn’t care that medicine was coming with it. Its a simple desire. So what is our simple desire, what is our peanut butter? While that question needs to be answer individually, scripture reminds us all of God’s purpose for us and that is Hislove. He created us out of His love, He sent Jesus to save us out of His love for us, and He still guides us today out of His love for us. We may not know what our peanut butter is but we are definitely His peanut butter.
We are precious in His sight
Never think that what you do for Him and others is unimportant. When it is done with Love, God feels it, regardless of size or human ideas of its importance. To Him it is all important.
We are made for His purpose, so let us shine out His light in all we do, and as always remember to be kind.
Good afternoon friends. Since I am home all day today, I am playing on the computer a lot – daytime TV is beyond boring to me. So I will bore you withy my writings, musings and encouragement. The word encouragement has a key word encased in it – Courage. Some days courage is all we have to be able put one step in front of the other. But my devotion last night gave a different perspective – one I have always known but sometimes I need reminding. So today I am reminding you of where your courage, strength and perseverance comes from.
I am a big believer that God puts people in our paths to help us be able to not only connect better with Him but to also show us how to connect better with each other. Someone left a devotion book and its companion research book on my desk but no one seems to claim they did it. It is a wonderful devotion book called Jesus Speaks written by Steven K. Scott and it is written in similar a style of JesusCalling by Sarah Young. Both are written as if you were talking directly to Jesus. Sometimes you just need that, at least I do.
Last night’s devotion was “Courage to Replace Your Fears”.
The disciples were in the boat and Jesus was walking to them across the water. They thought it was a ghost. But he tells them, “Take Courage”.
So many times when storms are raging around us that is all we can see but Jesus reminds us like he did Peter – don’t look at the storm, look at Me and don’t be afraid.
“It’s okay that fear might get the best of you for a moment. but open the eyes of your spirit and see Me. I am here!” from Jesus Speaks February 14.
No storm or scary situation every comes by surprise to Jesus and He will make sure we get through it safely.
He reminds us all through scripture that He is there, regardless of what we are going through. Just reach out to Him.
So I am reminding you, regardless of your storm, take courage and feel God’s presence surround you with love.
And if you can, reach out to others to help them feel encouraged and surround them in kindness. Sometimes all we need is a little kindness.
As I was reading my devotion this evening, I was reminded of the hope for Israel as Micah explained the guilt, misery and punishment the Lord had against Israel some 750 years before Christ. The Bible is filled with story after story of Israel following, then falling away, following again, then falling again…a cycle we still see today. Not just with Israel but with the entire world. But scripture also reminds us of His infinite love for us, a love we will never understand on this earth but a love that is always there for each person willing to accept it. May the words of my story this evening, bring you hope if you find yourself in a dark place. HIS light is always there for you.
Never Lose Hope
I sit in the darkness and gloom. My head hangs low in shame. It’s my own fault that I am in this mess. Though I sit here lost and scared, deep within me a hope burns. There is still a light out there beyond this darkness, a love beyond compare than beckons me to not give up.
“Do not gloat over me,” I shout into the dark. “I may have fallen but I am not forgotten. I am loved. I may be bearing the guilt of my shame but I know…HE…loves…me. He will come for me, He always does. He always does…”
A day is coming when Mother Earth will twist in the torment of her desolation caused by the greed and waste of mankind. Nations will be stripped of their power and thrown down in the dust of their inequities.
“It will be my turn to gloat,” I shout, yet I understand now, more than ever, the silliness and waste of that attitude as I am reminded of my error. We are all part of the great creation. He will not forget us forever. HE delights in showing mercy…even when we don’t deserve it.
Who is a God like you?
Anita Neal, 2/10/22
As we ponder the age old question of God’s existence, I can assure you God is there and His love for you is profound and very real. May you feel that love surround you and bring you peace.
And as always, I remind you of the power and the beauty of Kindness. Kindness can light a candle in the darkest corner.
Good evening friends. I sincerely hope your weekend is going well. I hope they are correct in forecasting that it will warm up a bit next week, I am kinda done with winter. I know it’s just February but still, I am done. I am thinking of spring thoughts to help me visualize that warmth is coming…
This morning, the new church council met for a retreat to get focused with its programs for the coming year; what worked last year, what do we hope for in the coming year and to support each other as a team. One of the things we touched on that got me thinking was “Soul Care”, what does it look like for each of us and how can we use it to help others. We were given a list of 10 items and we were to rate them on how they worked for us in our own spiritual care. Because it is true, if we don’t participate in our own soul care, we can’t help others, who may be struggling, take care of theirs. The pastor reminded us that while Jesus was very much engaged in helping others, He knew He needed time to take care of Himself as well by going off quietly to rejuvenate and refocus. He never loses the connection with God and then in turn He reaches out to us with that same connection. Staying connected through our soul.
I bring all that up because while we were discussing these 10 items, this morning’s devotion kept coming back to mind. One of the 10 items was “do devotions play a part in your soul care”. For me it’s a definite yes and when I read something that rings a bell for me, I like to share it with others. I don’t have the training or wisdom to come up with these ideas on my own but when I read what someone wrote and how it relates to scripture, then I like to share it to encourage others like I was encouraged.
Two of the devotions I read are written in the first person of Jesus as though He was actually speaking. Matter of fact, one of them is called “Jesus Speaks” by Steven Scott. Today’s devotion ties right in with what we were discussing at the retreat – “Soul Care” and how praying creates a connection of love, peace, nurturing that we all need with God and that it needs to be done quietly and privately.
It’s personal between you and God. This is a familiar passage I have read many times but as the devotion unfolded it made a statement that made me take a second look and it’s the second look that I want to share with you today – a different way to see how God interacts with you, because He is always there, even when we don’t feel Him.
“Praying alone and in secret for more than a few minutes requires faith. You need faith that the Father and I will truly be with you and will listen to your heart.” from Jesus Speaks
Did you catch that – the Father and I? We have always been taught that Jesus intercedes for us, that God and Jesus hear our prayers but it hit me today – they do this together. I know you are all going “well yeah ” but you are not getting my simple brain epiphany. See if this picture helps where my brain went.
God has one hand and Jesus has the other at the same time – always guiding, always nurturing, always there. Whether we feel it or not and in some cases, whether we believe it or not. Opening our hearts to God the Father and God the Son with any care, any concern or any hope we have will be answered with love, peace and comfort.
When you have finished your groanings before God, meditate on His words and listen to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.
“We will be waiting.” from Jesus Speaks
How marvelous it is to know we are never alone in this world, even at the darkest times. Thank you Lord. I sincerely hope my musings brought you a little encouragement on this cold February day. Send the encouragement forward if you like to help lighten the dark for others who may need it. And as always remember the power and beauty of kindness.
For the Love of 