This last Saturday was National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Day. I saw many posts on Instagram & Twitter celebrating the lives of sweet babies that were lost too soon & it was a wonderful reminder that we're all in this together & that our babies will never be forgotten.
But I gotta tell ya, this week I got something that meant so much more to me. God spoke to me & I've never felt stronger or more liberated. He told me it's time; "stop being a baby about your baby." I can't tell you what those words lit inside of me.
When God speaks His truth into your heart it doesn't just make you feel good, it gives you something to grab hold of. His Word is a lamp to our feet & a light to our path. Instead of crawling through life after being knocked down, His Word causes us to stand up, stiffen our resolve & take that next step of faith.
His Word is like no other because with it comes the grace we've needed all along to grasp the truth. People can tell you, experience can tell you, pain can tell you, so many things can tell you, but when Jesus speaks to you - grace comes.
Oh, that wonderful grace that makes it all possible. The grace that gives us power to stomp on what tries to hold us down. Don't stop until it comes to you. It doesn't matter how long it takes you, don't stop until you hear His voice full of truth & grace & love.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
***untitled***
Hi Friends,
This is something that just sort of poured out of me today & I wanted to share.
Wherever my battle may be, whatever ground I must take, I know that my God will keep me. His promise will not fail & He does not forsake. Wounded tho I may be, my Battle-Companion is also the One who heals me. Victory is sure, for it has already been won. I will stand firm as the arrows fly, my faith is my shield & my God is my sure foundation. Having done all to stand, I will stand. Hope is never lost for in the midst of my enemies, at His table I rest. My weakness does not matter, His strength is enough. I rise above the ash & dust. My heart sings a song of life & praise for my God is enough. He is all I need. He is my everything. His love overtakes me, His grace overwhelms, His mercy renews & His goodness draws. My faith is certain for it is in the One who cannot fail.
Praying you have a wonderful day!
This is something that just sort of poured out of me today & I wanted to share.
Wherever my battle may be, whatever ground I must take, I know that my God will keep me. His promise will not fail & He does not forsake. Wounded tho I may be, my Battle-Companion is also the One who heals me. Victory is sure, for it has already been won. I will stand firm as the arrows fly, my faith is my shield & my God is my sure foundation. Having done all to stand, I will stand. Hope is never lost for in the midst of my enemies, at His table I rest. My weakness does not matter, His strength is enough. I rise above the ash & dust. My heart sings a song of life & praise for my God is enough. He is all I need. He is my everything. His love overtakes me, His grace overwhelms, His mercy renews & His goodness draws. My faith is certain for it is in the One who cannot fail.
Praying you have a wonderful day!
Friday, March 25, 2016
doesn't get any better
It just doesn't get any better than Jesus Christ.
The very best of the best of the best. The perfect most wonderful person ever; our wonderful, merciful, just Lord. His love is the most, His healing is the most, everything about Him is the most.
There isn't a word that can capture His greatness & His perfection. He is perfectly holy & pure, He is the Christ, the Lamb of God who washed away the sins of this world & brought new life to those that would believe.
What a wonderful Savior, so full of love. The One who paid our debt before we ever knew we owed it. Oh, what a wonderful Lord who made a way for us to be connected. The One who made a way for the dead to become alive, for the lost to be found & the sick to be healed.
Jesus, wonderful Jesus..there's nobody like Him!
& He loves YOU!
The very best of the best of the best. The perfect most wonderful person ever; our wonderful, merciful, just Lord. His love is the most, His healing is the most, everything about Him is the most.
There isn't a word that can capture His greatness & His perfection. He is perfectly holy & pure, He is the Christ, the Lamb of God who washed away the sins of this world & brought new life to those that would believe.
What a wonderful Savior, so full of love. The One who paid our debt before we ever knew we owed it. Oh, what a wonderful Lord who made a way for us to be connected. The One who made a way for the dead to become alive, for the lost to be found & the sick to be healed.
Jesus, wonderful Jesus..there's nobody like Him!
& He loves YOU!
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
feelings & facts
"The most treacherous thing is to live by feelings." Leonard Ravenhill
I can't tell you how many people I've told this too in the last week. It seems like feelings are trying to take over everyone lately.
Yes, feelings are real. Yes, feelings are strong. Yes, feelings are part of us, but that doesn't mean that they are always right. It doesn't matter if your whole self is screaming that something is true, it can still be wrong. The facts are our friends, whether our feelings agree with them or not.
Let me tell you some facts:
God formed you. You weren't just an accident or even a scientific happening. You were specifically formed by a loving Father who put effort into you & has a vision for who you are to be.
Psalm 139:13-16
You have a God-given purpose. You aren't on this earth to just exist, you are here to carry the Spirit & power of God to those around you. You are the temple of the Most High God, & a vessel that He wants to flow through.
1 Corinthians 6:19 & Jeremiah 29:11
You have power. It's not your own power, but it's the power of the Almighty God that lives in you. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead, the same power that heals & delivers, & the same power that tramples on serpents & scorpions.
Ephesians 3:20-21
You have peace. Meditate in His Word & on Him, and you will have peace because He said it was so.
Isaiah 26:3
The pressure of this world does not own you. It's way of thinking does not run you. That is why we must renew our minds to the Word of God. We cannot run with the truth if we do not know what it is, and by "know" I mean believe & have a firm grasp on. The tighter our hold on God & His word, the less grip this world will have on us.
We are not of this world, we live above it & we shine bright in it. Thank God that He has delivered us from the "cause & effect" laws of this world. There is no "cause" or "effect" that can change the truth of His Word in our lives.
I can't tell you how many people I've told this too in the last week. It seems like feelings are trying to take over everyone lately.
Yes, feelings are real. Yes, feelings are strong. Yes, feelings are part of us, but that doesn't mean that they are always right. It doesn't matter if your whole self is screaming that something is true, it can still be wrong. The facts are our friends, whether our feelings agree with them or not.
Let me tell you some facts:
God formed you. You weren't just an accident or even a scientific happening. You were specifically formed by a loving Father who put effort into you & has a vision for who you are to be.
Psalm 139:13-16
You have a God-given purpose. You aren't on this earth to just exist, you are here to carry the Spirit & power of God to those around you. You are the temple of the Most High God, & a vessel that He wants to flow through.
1 Corinthians 6:19 & Jeremiah 29:11
You have power. It's not your own power, but it's the power of the Almighty God that lives in you. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead, the same power that heals & delivers, & the same power that tramples on serpents & scorpions.
Ephesians 3:20-21
You have peace. Meditate in His Word & on Him, and you will have peace because He said it was so.
Isaiah 26:3
The pressure of this world does not own you. It's way of thinking does not run you. That is why we must renew our minds to the Word of God. We cannot run with the truth if we do not know what it is, and by "know" I mean believe & have a firm grasp on. The tighter our hold on God & His word, the less grip this world will have on us.
We are not of this world, we live above it & we shine bright in it. Thank God that He has delivered us from the "cause & effect" laws of this world. There is no "cause" or "effect" that can change the truth of His Word in our lives.
Monday, January 18, 2016
"comfort food"
They don't call it "comfort food" for nothing...
It's the beginning of the new year & the time when my church does "The Daniel Fast."
It's a glorious, somewhat terrifying 21 days of eating only fruits, veggies & whole grains while we purpose to spend more time with God in our daily lives. We're basically setting the tone for the new year & letting our flesh know that it's not the boss.
It's always a time that reveals a lot about your character, desires & motivations.
This year I couldn't believe how much emotional stock I put in food. Really it should not have come as a surprise looking back, but the cold-turkey dismissal of all things sweet, savory, greasy, yummy & satisfying was a shock to my system. & I came to understand some things.
1. Food releases pleasure & can bring a false sense of comfort/healing, as can entertainment, shopping, & the list goes on. The issue isn't the food, it's your heart. If you turn to food every time you're feeling emotional, you'll become an emotional eater & you'll be caught in a cycle. If however you turn to God in those moments, you become healed. That's a major difference!
2. Laziness will destroy you. Not only will it cause you to gain weight (both physical & emotional), it will keep you out of your promise land & begin to skew the truth of the Word of God in your eyes. Rather than living an active life of faith, you begin to say things like, "tithing doesn't work," or "healing isn't for today" because you don't see them happening.
Somehow in church life I got it into my brain that if I just existed in this Christian life all the good things that God promised would automatically happen for me & none of the bad things in life would ever happen to me. But the Bible says that faith without works is dead - that means I need to do something. It's not about earning God promises, it's about living a life that shows you believe Him. Faith engages God, acknowledges that He is present & then takes the step that He asks of it. Whether that step is sharing your faith, praying for the sick, believing through tragedy, dancing in worship or giving your last $10 in the offering.
Don't let life make you lazy! Don't run to anything else for comfort, it doesn't have the power to heal you. Run your race! Run to God, run with faith, it is not as hard as your flesh wants you to believe.
You don't just sit at the table & expect the food to get in your stomach! You gotta pick up the fork & chew...it's not hard to do, but it makes all the difference.
-Amie
It's the beginning of the new year & the time when my church does "The Daniel Fast."
It's a glorious, somewhat terrifying 21 days of eating only fruits, veggies & whole grains while we purpose to spend more time with God in our daily lives. We're basically setting the tone for the new year & letting our flesh know that it's not the boss.
It's always a time that reveals a lot about your character, desires & motivations.
This year I couldn't believe how much emotional stock I put in food. Really it should not have come as a surprise looking back, but the cold-turkey dismissal of all things sweet, savory, greasy, yummy & satisfying was a shock to my system. & I came to understand some things.
1. Food releases pleasure & can bring a false sense of comfort/healing, as can entertainment, shopping, & the list goes on. The issue isn't the food, it's your heart. If you turn to food every time you're feeling emotional, you'll become an emotional eater & you'll be caught in a cycle. If however you turn to God in those moments, you become healed. That's a major difference!
2. Laziness will destroy you. Not only will it cause you to gain weight (both physical & emotional), it will keep you out of your promise land & begin to skew the truth of the Word of God in your eyes. Rather than living an active life of faith, you begin to say things like, "tithing doesn't work," or "healing isn't for today" because you don't see them happening.
Somehow in church life I got it into my brain that if I just existed in this Christian life all the good things that God promised would automatically happen for me & none of the bad things in life would ever happen to me. But the Bible says that faith without works is dead - that means I need to do something. It's not about earning God promises, it's about living a life that shows you believe Him. Faith engages God, acknowledges that He is present & then takes the step that He asks of it. Whether that step is sharing your faith, praying for the sick, believing through tragedy, dancing in worship or giving your last $10 in the offering.
Don't let life make you lazy! Don't run to anything else for comfort, it doesn't have the power to heal you. Run your race! Run to God, run with faith, it is not as hard as your flesh wants you to believe.
You don't just sit at the table & expect the food to get in your stomach! You gotta pick up the fork & chew...it's not hard to do, but it makes all the difference.
-Amie
Monday, January 4, 2016
the greatest resolution
One of the greatest resolutions you can make in 2016 is not something you DO, but rather something you THINK.
What you THINK determines what & how you DO.
One of my favorite scriptures is Philippians 4:8. It's so powerful in it's simplicity.
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
What you THINK determines what & how you DO.
One of my favorite scriptures is Philippians 4:8. It's so powerful in it's simplicity.
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
I don't know about you, but I can have a lot of thoughts run through my brain that are the very opposite of the things in this verse. & that's been especially true this last year & a half.
But guess what, we have the ability (& the commission) to change the way we think! It's time to renew our minds to the Word. We can't always control the thoughts that run through our minds, but we sure can stack the deck in our favor.
(Someone's) Mama always said: garbage in, garbage out.
If you want to start to take control of your thought life, start to take control of what your eyes see & your ears hear. Spend more time in front for the Bible than in front of the TV, internet, games, or even other books.
I'm not saying you have to cut out all non-Christian material from your life, but how bad do you want it?
It's a simple "formula."
Spend time in the Word. The Word brings faith, and as faith grows so does your thought life. It is an automatic response to the living Word. Don't leave your mind to it's own thoughts, take control of the foundation. Your mind doesn't become renewed simply by catching every bad thought that runs through it, but rather by filling it with truth & giving yourself something to fight with!
It's not a one-time-flip-a-switch-cure-all, it's a lifestyle & a life-line. God didn't leave you to battle alone. He gave you the tools & the more you use the tools, the more you realize God is bigger than the enemy we face.
Tools can't build anything while they are laying on the ground. So pick them up & start renewing your mind. It'll be the best resolution you ever made.
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