I am not alone

I am not alone in this life, in this battle, in this joy, in any moment.

Whether I feel like it or not, the TRUTH is that I am not alone. 

If I have someone with me or not, I am not alone. 

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, 

for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. 

He will not leave you or forsake you.”

& you, my friend, are not alone either. 

thoughts

I wanted to share something my Pastor said on Sunday,

"Don't stew, brew & chew on what they did (or what happened), just DO what's right & forgive."

Painful things are going to happen in our lives, but the more time we spend thinking on IT the more power we give it. Whether it was a person who hurt us, or just the circumstances of life. The sooner we begin to take that pain to God, the sooner the healing will come. Also, the more we take painful memories to God, the less power they will have over our lives. 

It's a two-fold process. We can't fool ourselves into thinking that once we start moving on from a painful experience we'll never have to deal with it again. There will be times when those memories try to come back, the pain will try to come back. We can't just brush those times off, we must take them to God & let Him continue His healing. 

When is it easier to pull out a weed? When the ground is hard & the roots are large or when the ground is soft & the root is small? Dealing with the little thoughts that are trying to grow roots will keep you. 

The Bible tells us not only to think on things that are true and honorable and right and pure, but to FIX our thoughts on those things! Don't let your mind control your thought life. Let God's Word permeate your heart & your mind. It is life & it brings health & joy in ways nothing on this earth ever can.  

check it

If your marital connection is struggling.. i.e. fights, lack of desire, stress, tragedy, or short fuses...

Check your spiritual connection.

It might seem like an obvious thing to say, but in the middle of a an argument who really wants to go to God? 

Do it anyways. 

You love your husband/wife, you know you do - so start acting like it! 

God is love. Bring Him into your marriage & see how He works, see how Love really works!

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.

Love doesn’t strut,

Doesn’t have a swelled head,

Doesn’t force itself on others,

Isn’t always “me first,”

Doesn’t fly off the handle,

Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn’t revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end.

even if your voice shakes

People like to say, "no mess, no message."

I say, "bologna!"

I was raised in the church, living for God from a very young age, had it good, didn't have any "huge" (as if they can be measured??) sin issues, never really had a big ol' mess & guess what, I STILL HAVE A MESSAGE!

I heard a story once of a man who was asked to give his testimony. He was last in a line of 3. The first two guys had whoppers! Drugs, alcohol, affairs, stealing, murder, etc & God saved them out of it all! YES, God is that big & that awesome!

The third man was panicking...he had no big story to tell...his story was a lot like mine...until at that moment God quickened something in his heart.

God had kept him.

In a world where morals are stepped on every single day, where holiness is mocked, & a Biblical life is looked down upon... God kept this man clean.

Yes, we all sin - and for that reason we all need to be saved. I'm not saying my sin is worse or your sin is worse. We all sin & we all need Jesus.

But to say that you don't have a message because you haven't had a mess is FALSE!

If you're like me & have been blessed enough to be raised in a God-fearing, moral environment & you look at your life wondering - how can I help people when I've never gone through what they have? Know this, God has shown His power in your life. He has the power to save & keep people from sin! That is one of the greatest messages that people without hope can hear! Preach it loud.

If you have struggled with things in your past, there is no condemnation. You have a message too! God can take you out of a mess, save you & give you a message! That is one of the greatest messages that people without hope can hear! Preach it loud.

You see - we're all loved, adored, & desired by God. We all have sin in some degree, we all require Jesus & we all have a message. No one is better than another. 

Preach your message loud, even if your voice shakes. Let God use you to bring hope to the hopeless. Jesus is the answer & we need to share Him. 

-Amie