Happy New Year Everyone!
There's so much to look forward to this year! Not because of what's going on in the world & not because of what's going on in your life, but because of what God says about you!
His promises are good, they are true & they are certain. Imagine that! He's not only for us, but He's capable of coming through for us! This crazy world & the people in it might let you down, even the good ones who don't mean to, but GOD NEVER WILL! What a promise!
Start your new year right & learn what God says about you & what is yours. Faith comes by the Word. Your faith can only be activated by what God says. It starts in the Bible! If we don't make time for the Bible we won't be making time for our faith to grow & nobody wants that! We all desire to grow & become better versions of ourselves. God has set up the simplest & most effective way to do that - discipline & sacrifice - but don't forget the immense reward that comes from those two things - being called a child of God & heir to all the promises that are YES & AMEN!
Now that's good news & makes for a pretty darn Happy New Year!
Wishing you all the very best & looking forward to what God is going to do in 2017.
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Monday, October 12, 2015
-behavior-
I'm learning more and more that kids are just little humans.
Weirdest sentence ever, right?
What I mean by that is, they need to be trained. So many of us look at a child that's acting up & automatically sum them up. We anticipate all the trouble they will have as a middle-schooler, teenager, adult...
When really they are no different than us, we've just learnt to hide our "issues" better.
We all go through different seasons in our lives. We go through rebellion, pain, stretching, happiness, excitement... our seasons are ever-changing and hopefully we are ever learning.
As parent's/adults we need to learn that the kids in our lives aren't defined by their behavior, they have time to change, & they will grow if we put in the effort & don't get discouraged. We need to learn to give children room to learn. No one comes out perfect & no one learns good behavior without guidance. A seed doesn't become an oak tree overnight. It takes water & sunlight & sometimes a rod to keep it growing straight, but eventually it's strong enough to grow right & "suddenly" it produces fruit.
Don't let your child's behavior create their definition...in your mind or in theirs. Never stop training, loving, encouraging, correcting, & instilling into them what's right.
Think about it, your parents had all the same fears & concerns you do (at least to some degree). Everyone wants to raise a good human being....you turned out ok! Trust God & His method.
Oh & just a quick note to the adults in the room...that's why we have pastors! They "never stop training, loving, encouraging, correcting, & instilling into US what's right." See... we all get to keep growing.
Weirdest sentence ever, right?
What I mean by that is, they need to be trained. So many of us look at a child that's acting up & automatically sum them up. We anticipate all the trouble they will have as a middle-schooler, teenager, adult...
When really they are no different than us, we've just learnt to hide our "issues" better.
We all go through different seasons in our lives. We go through rebellion, pain, stretching, happiness, excitement... our seasons are ever-changing and hopefully we are ever learning.
As parent's/adults we need to learn that the kids in our lives aren't defined by their behavior, they have time to change, & they will grow if we put in the effort & don't get discouraged. We need to learn to give children room to learn. No one comes out perfect & no one learns good behavior without guidance. A seed doesn't become an oak tree overnight. It takes water & sunlight & sometimes a rod to keep it growing straight, but eventually it's strong enough to grow right & "suddenly" it produces fruit.
Don't let your child's behavior create their definition...in your mind or in theirs. Never stop training, loving, encouraging, correcting, & instilling into them what's right.
Think about it, your parents had all the same fears & concerns you do (at least to some degree). Everyone wants to raise a good human being....you turned out ok! Trust God & His method.
Oh & just a quick note to the adults in the room...that's why we have pastors! They "never stop training, loving, encouraging, correcting, & instilling into US what's right." See... we all get to keep growing.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Comparison
Comparison was never meant to define you.
I believe that looking at someone else's life is a good thing. You can use it as a guide or an encouragement or even an example, but we find out identity & purpose in the Book! God wants to build your specific life according to His plan for you, not through the plan He has for someone else's life.
Your road is different than someone else's. It has different hills & valleys, different turns & potholes. Using someone else as a map will only cause you to get off course.
I've used a few different women as examples & as encouragement as I navigate this bump in the road called grief. It's so encouraging to see that others have made it out stronger & more like Jesus than when they started, but I also know that He's the only one that can actually do the work in me. So I keep my eyes on Him & His plan, and just allow other people's lives to be like a billboard advertising encouragement as I go along.
There's a whole lot of driving analogies happening in this blog today, but I think it gets the point across!
Keep your eyes on Jesus & His Word & what His plan is for you. Don't try to live your life based on someone else's road map.
I believe that looking at someone else's life is a good thing. You can use it as a guide or an encouragement or even an example, but we find out identity & purpose in the Book! God wants to build your specific life according to His plan for you, not through the plan He has for someone else's life.
Your road is different than someone else's. It has different hills & valleys, different turns & potholes. Using someone else as a map will only cause you to get off course.
I've used a few different women as examples & as encouragement as I navigate this bump in the road called grief. It's so encouraging to see that others have made it out stronger & more like Jesus than when they started, but I also know that He's the only one that can actually do the work in me. So I keep my eyes on Him & His plan, and just allow other people's lives to be like a billboard advertising encouragement as I go along.
There's a whole lot of driving analogies happening in this blog today, but I think it gets the point across!
Keep your eyes on Jesus & His Word & what His plan is for you. Don't try to live your life based on someone else's road map.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD,
thoughts of peace, and not of evil,
to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Philippians 4:8
I just can't seem to get past this verse today.
Remember: either you control your thoughts, or they will control you.
I've included a couple of translations for you, I just love the context & content they give you.
Philippians 4:8
ESV
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
TLB
And now, brothers, as I close this letter, let me say this one more thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about.
MSG
Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.
NKJV
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Remember: either you control your thoughts, or they will control you.
I've included a couple of translations for you, I just love the context & content they give you.
Philippians 4:8
ESV
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
TLB
And now, brothers, as I close this letter, let me say this one more thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about.
MSG
Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.
NKJV
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Friday, May 29, 2015
the flowers & the weeds
There's nothing quite like the start of a new day.
It can either hold sadness or hope & it's all up to you.
New days are a funny thing. They make you feel like you've got the chance to start all over again & make something good happen...you know, until reality hits & you're dealing with all the same stuff that you've been dealing with for some time now.
But really, IT IS A BRAND NEW DAY! & you've got the choice to deal with "your stuff" with a new & refreshed attitude or a stale & worn-out attitude. Because your attitude is a choice.
I never said it was easy. Emotions can be big, but they can be beat. & if they happen to win over you for a day, guess what...you get to wake up tomorrow & show them who's really boss. You win by never giving up!
--- I was doing a bit of gardening the other day & because I had left it off too long the weeds had gained quite a lot of ground. Their roots were hard to pull out, & I needed a special tool to dig them out. At one point, I accidentally pulled out a plant & I was amazed at how easily it came out without having to dig...it's root wasn't nearly as strong as the weed. ---
What am I saying?
Keep dealing with yourself! Never stop dealing with the hard things because the longer you let them go, the harder they get to pull up.
Keep building up the good things in your life. Spend time daily with God & in His Word, pray, worship, give, communicate with godly people, etc. Take care of those good root systems & give them time to root themselves strong!
You can't only take care of the flowers in your garden & let the weeds run wild, or else soon you'll have a bunch of dead flowers in a weed garden.
Pour into your life spiritually & let God tend to your garden...the flowers & the weeds.
It can either hold sadness or hope & it's all up to you.
New days are a funny thing. They make you feel like you've got the chance to start all over again & make something good happen...you know, until reality hits & you're dealing with all the same stuff that you've been dealing with for some time now.
But really, IT IS A BRAND NEW DAY! & you've got the choice to deal with "your stuff" with a new & refreshed attitude or a stale & worn-out attitude. Because your attitude is a choice.
I never said it was easy. Emotions can be big, but they can be beat. & if they happen to win over you for a day, guess what...you get to wake up tomorrow & show them who's really boss. You win by never giving up!
--- I was doing a bit of gardening the other day & because I had left it off too long the weeds had gained quite a lot of ground. Their roots were hard to pull out, & I needed a special tool to dig them out. At one point, I accidentally pulled out a plant & I was amazed at how easily it came out without having to dig...it's root wasn't nearly as strong as the weed. ---
What am I saying?
Keep dealing with yourself! Never stop dealing with the hard things because the longer you let them go, the harder they get to pull up.
Keep building up the good things in your life. Spend time daily with God & in His Word, pray, worship, give, communicate with godly people, etc. Take care of those good root systems & give them time to root themselves strong!
You can't only take care of the flowers in your garden & let the weeds run wild, or else soon you'll have a bunch of dead flowers in a weed garden.
Pour into your life spiritually & let God tend to your garden...the flowers & the weeds.
John 15
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away,
and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself,
unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches.
Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit,
for apart from me you can do nothing.
Friday, March 27, 2015
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.
& you, my friend, are not alone either.
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.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
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
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
Friday, February 27, 2015
expansion
It's amazing how much the heart can expand.
It heals, it forgives, it loves, it grows. The heart is a beautiful thing.
Of course, it does also hurt...but the ability of the heart to heal is amazing. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about my Abigail, but the memories get happier & the pain gets less as my heart heals.
I felt like I was doomed to pain for the rest of my life after my little girl went to Heaven, but God's promises are true & He really does give you joy for mourning & beauty for ashes.
I thought I was doomed to have a "pang" in my heart every time I heard that another one of my friend's was pregnant & yet now, I feel as if I can love their babies even more.
I thought I was doomed to cry every time a new baby was born & I held that new life in my arms, but my heart grew & I'm loving those little babies with all the joy in my heart.
I won't lie to you & say it's been all peaches & cream - I'm still healing - but God is faithful & the more I allow Him to love me, the more I find my heart expanding and the things that once brought pain, now bring joy.
So don't think you're the first to burst into sad tears & not happy ones when your friends tell you their good news. You'll feel happy for them, sad for you, guilty for feeling sad & a million other things. Go ahead & cry, go ahead & feel those emotions, it's okay, it's normal - and then go to God & let Him continue His work in you.
Don't hide yourself away from the happy things of life. As much as it hurts, it's part of the healing, and who better to go through it with than those who love you most? We're all put here together to help each other do this thing called life.
Let those that God has given you help you & let God do His work.
He has all the hope you need.
-Amie
It heals, it forgives, it loves, it grows. The heart is a beautiful thing.
Of course, it does also hurt...but the ability of the heart to heal is amazing. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about my Abigail, but the memories get happier & the pain gets less as my heart heals.
I felt like I was doomed to pain for the rest of my life after my little girl went to Heaven, but God's promises are true & He really does give you joy for mourning & beauty for ashes.
I thought I was doomed to have a "pang" in my heart every time I heard that another one of my friend's was pregnant & yet now, I feel as if I can love their babies even more.
I thought I was doomed to cry every time a new baby was born & I held that new life in my arms, but my heart grew & I'm loving those little babies with all the joy in my heart.
I won't lie to you & say it's been all peaches & cream - I'm still healing - but God is faithful & the more I allow Him to love me, the more I find my heart expanding and the things that once brought pain, now bring joy.
So don't think you're the first to burst into sad tears & not happy ones when your friends tell you their good news. You'll feel happy for them, sad for you, guilty for feeling sad & a million other things. Go ahead & cry, go ahead & feel those emotions, it's okay, it's normal - and then go to God & let Him continue His work in you.
Don't hide yourself away from the happy things of life. As much as it hurts, it's part of the healing, and who better to go through it with than those who love you most? We're all put here together to help each other do this thing called life.
Let those that God has given you help you & let God do His work.
He has all the hope you need.
-Amie
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
take. hope.
Life is big & full of overwhelming things.
Psalm 55:22
Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you;
he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Isaiah 26:3-4
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.
There is nothing to big for Him to get your through & bring you out victorious. Life is not too big & overwhelming for God!
Proverbs 3:5-8
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
Take hope today in Someone who is much stronger & bigger than you. Even if you don't feel it, TAKE it! God is our hope & He has freely given Himself to us!
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Matthew 7
Matthew 7
This chapter, I tell you what. It's been a real eye-opener.
It's funny how you think you know/understand something & then life shows you how much you don't.
Back-story:
I was pregnant with Abigail & got the chance to preach at my church. I believe God spoke to me to talk on this chapter because He knew I was going to need it.
I went ahead & preached about not being shaken when the rain hit & how your house won't fall when it's built on the Rock.
All good & true stuff.
Yet, as the next week began - there I was laying in the hospital fighting for my life, while my little girl got whisked off to a neonatal intensive care unit to fight for hers.
As the story goes, I obviously got better & if you've read any earlier blogs you'll know that my sweet girl went to Heaven after 45 days.
I can honestly say now, I didn't even know the depth of what I was preaching. I can't tell you how many times I've read those Scriptures, heard them preached about, & talked about them myself & never EVER realized what they were saying until now.
Somehow, I would always gloss over the part about the rain & wind - like those were just poetic phrases & didn't really have any meaning. Somehow, I always thought that the only thing of importance in those Scriptures was that my house was standing because I'm built on Christ....and somehow that translated to me that NOTHING BAD WOULD EVER HAPPEN.
When in all obviousness (hindsight is 20/20 as they say!), He was speaking right at me about the storm that was about to come & I completely missed it.
Why am I sharing this? 2 reasons:
1. bad things will happen, BUT if you are built on the ROCK your house will stand. It's going to be hard & painful, but you'll last. I did. My husband did. My family did. God is faithful.
2. we can't go into the Scriptures with rose-colored glasses or preconceived notions that cause us to gloss over things. They are God's words, not just a poetic book to make His children feel good. It's a map to life. It's the key to surviving in this world. It's a guide to knowing about His promises for a happy & blessed life & how to walk in victory after the battles.
Without the Word of God we're left to our own understanding to deal with life. NO THANKS! Serving God doesn't mean a life without problems, but it does mean that I have His help getting through them & I'll take that EVER SINGLE TIME!
-Amie
This chapter, I tell you what. It's been a real eye-opener.
It's funny how you think you know/understand something & then life shows you how much you don't.
Back-story:
I was pregnant with Abigail & got the chance to preach at my church. I believe God spoke to me to talk on this chapter because He knew I was going to need it.
I went ahead & preached about not being shaken when the rain hit & how your house won't fall when it's built on the Rock.
All good & true stuff.
Yet, as the next week began - there I was laying in the hospital fighting for my life, while my little girl got whisked off to a neonatal intensive care unit to fight for hers.
As the story goes, I obviously got better & if you've read any earlier blogs you'll know that my sweet girl went to Heaven after 45 days.
I can honestly say now, I didn't even know the depth of what I was preaching. I can't tell you how many times I've read those Scriptures, heard them preached about, & talked about them myself & never EVER realized what they were saying until now.
Somehow, I would always gloss over the part about the rain & wind - like those were just poetic phrases & didn't really have any meaning. Somehow, I always thought that the only thing of importance in those Scriptures was that my house was standing because I'm built on Christ....and somehow that translated to me that NOTHING BAD WOULD EVER HAPPEN.
When in all obviousness (hindsight is 20/20 as they say!), He was speaking right at me about the storm that was about to come & I completely missed it.
Why am I sharing this? 2 reasons:
1. bad things will happen, BUT if you are built on the ROCK your house will stand. It's going to be hard & painful, but you'll last. I did. My husband did. My family did. God is faithful.
2. we can't go into the Scriptures with rose-colored glasses or preconceived notions that cause us to gloss over things. They are God's words, not just a poetic book to make His children feel good. It's a map to life. It's the key to surviving in this world. It's a guide to knowing about His promises for a happy & blessed life & how to walk in victory after the battles.
Without the Word of God we're left to our own understanding to deal with life. NO THANKS! Serving God doesn't mean a life without problems, but it does mean that I have His help getting through them & I'll take that EVER SINGLE TIME!
-Amie
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
***Be full***
One thing I've learned is that life doesn't stop.
Life doesn't care what you're going through, it will keep chugging along. On top of that, it doesn't care how much of a load you already have to carry, it will add more.
Time is relentless.
So what's the answer? Be full!
It might seem like a cop-out answer, but it's been the "realest" truth in my life. It never fails. When I'm full of God's Word, prayer & worship it causes a chain reaction. The troubles of life don't disappear, but they aren't as big & I can see the victory! My emotions are more Godly - I don't PMS (let's just be real!), I don't cry over a hang nail, I don't get discontented. My body is more "alive!" I have the desire to eat healthy, exercise, & take care of myself. All of this happens BECAUSE my spiritual life is full.
& then there's the opposite...when I'm empty. It's not pleasant. You can pretty much guess it's the exact opposite of the above.
So why in the world do I stop?? Why do I keep shooting myself in the foot? Why do I put down my Bible? I've come to determine that the "flesh" or the thing that connects us to this world doesn't care if it suffers as long as it doesn't have to deal with God. Human nature isn't anti-suffering, it's anti-God. My flesh would rather have me miserable, than have me running on all cylinders & full of God!
Thank God He's given us the victory! Romans 7 & 8 tell us that, yes we're warring against a sin-nature, but that we've been given the power over it! God in us is stronger than any desire to sin! But if we're not full of God, how can we hope to defeat our enemy? We're not strong enough on our own, BUT HE'S GIVEN US THE ANSWER!! Himself!
Stay faithful - reading, praying, worshiping - and see that even though life won't be perfect, you'll have the victory!
*photo by Caleb Willoughby
Life doesn't care what you're going through, it will keep chugging along. On top of that, it doesn't care how much of a load you already have to carry, it will add more.
Time is relentless.
So what's the answer? Be full!
It might seem like a cop-out answer, but it's been the "realest" truth in my life. It never fails. When I'm full of God's Word, prayer & worship it causes a chain reaction. The troubles of life don't disappear, but they aren't as big & I can see the victory! My emotions are more Godly - I don't PMS (let's just be real!), I don't cry over a hang nail, I don't get discontented. My body is more "alive!" I have the desire to eat healthy, exercise, & take care of myself. All of this happens BECAUSE my spiritual life is full.
& then there's the opposite...when I'm empty. It's not pleasant. You can pretty much guess it's the exact opposite of the above.
So why in the world do I stop?? Why do I keep shooting myself in the foot? Why do I put down my Bible? I've come to determine that the "flesh" or the thing that connects us to this world doesn't care if it suffers as long as it doesn't have to deal with God. Human nature isn't anti-suffering, it's anti-God. My flesh would rather have me miserable, than have me running on all cylinders & full of God!
Thank God He's given us the victory! Romans 7 & 8 tell us that, yes we're warring against a sin-nature, but that we've been given the power over it! God in us is stronger than any desire to sin! But if we're not full of God, how can we hope to defeat our enemy? We're not strong enough on our own, BUT HE'S GIVEN US THE ANSWER!! Himself!
Stay faithful - reading, praying, worshiping - and see that even though life won't be perfect, you'll have the victory!
Thursday, February 12, 2015
~friends~
I don't at all want this blog to only be about the hardest days of my life, I want you to see that joy really does come in the "morning." & even though my "morning" seemed to be a few months coming, it has come & joy is here.
I know that God is working in me a healing that no one else can do, but I also see the importance of surrounding yourself with people who will encourage you & hug you & yes, even challenge you.
When you're in the middle of quicksand you can't pull yourself out, you need friends! The man in the Bible who was crippled needed friends to take him to Jesus so he could get healed!
There were so many days I wanted nothing to do with friends or joy or laughs, but it was the people God had put around me who helped me walk through it all.
I'm not sure they really even realize what they did for me. But in the moments where I felt like God wasn't near, I had everyone around me telling me He was, helping me along, praying for me - how can you say thank you for that? It's life.
Isolation will destroy your life, but so will surrounding yourself with wrong people telling you the wrong things. The relationships you create will be life or death. The Bible tells us to guard our heart because it is the wellspring of life. If I had surrounded myself with people who only ever felt sorry for me (even though their intentions were only good), sorrow would be the only thing my heart could produce. But because I have an amazing husband, family & church family - people who are full of faith, & people that don't quit - my heart was filled with that same faith & determination, so that's what came out of me (eventually!).
I'm not trying to make it sound like it was easy, but it was right & it was life. God's Word doesn't promise a perfect life, but He surely promises victory over the junk that does happen in this life. I'd rather have victory over the bad things that happen in my life, than just go on living with them for the rest of my days.
I guess what I'm trying to say is - GET IN A CHURCH! Surround yourself with faith-filled people, fill yourself with the Word of God that's preached from the pulpit, & believe that God is doing His work!
-Amie
I know that God is working in me a healing that no one else can do, but I also see the importance of surrounding yourself with people who will encourage you & hug you & yes, even challenge you.
When you're in the middle of quicksand you can't pull yourself out, you need friends! The man in the Bible who was crippled needed friends to take him to Jesus so he could get healed!
There were so many days I wanted nothing to do with friends or joy or laughs, but it was the people God had put around me who helped me walk through it all.
I'm not sure they really even realize what they did for me. But in the moments where I felt like God wasn't near, I had everyone around me telling me He was, helping me along, praying for me - how can you say thank you for that? It's life.
Isolation will destroy your life, but so will surrounding yourself with wrong people telling you the wrong things. The relationships you create will be life or death. The Bible tells us to guard our heart because it is the wellspring of life. If I had surrounded myself with people who only ever felt sorry for me (even though their intentions were only good), sorrow would be the only thing my heart could produce. But because I have an amazing husband, family & church family - people who are full of faith, & people that don't quit - my heart was filled with that same faith & determination, so that's what came out of me (eventually!).
I'm not trying to make it sound like it was easy, but it was right & it was life. God's Word doesn't promise a perfect life, but He surely promises victory over the junk that does happen in this life. I'd rather have victory over the bad things that happen in my life, than just go on living with them for the rest of my days.
I guess what I'm trying to say is - GET IN A CHURCH! Surround yourself with faith-filled people, fill yourself with the Word of God that's preached from the pulpit, & believe that God is doing His work!
-Amie
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
God knew.
"This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice & be glad in it."
It's a tough verse to accept when you're going through the worst day of your life. I can't say I thought about this verse at all the day my sweet Abigail went to Heaven, but as I heal & as I look back I see the hope.
How is it possible to see hope in times like these?!
God knew.
& that's where I find my hope. He knew what was going to happen & He knew that if I didn't have Him, all hope would be lost.
I don't know why she didn't get healed, but I know I'm being healed now. If I continue to live looking back & wondering why this happened to me, I'll miss life.
The hope of the Christian is that, I will see my little girl again. She's in Heaven & that's where I plan to go because I confess Jesus as my Savior & Lord of my life.
He didn't take her away from me, but He's holding her for me now. I miss her, but I'm going to see her again.
So as I continue to live on this earth & accomplish the call that He's placed on my life I can say, "today is the day that He's made & I'm going to rejoice in it."
There's no pain or sorrow that He cannot heal. It might not feel that way now or even for the next weeks or months of your life, but please if you believe nothing else, believe that if you keep turning to Jesus - He will fix what is broken.
~Amie
It's a tough verse to accept when you're going through the worst day of your life. I can't say I thought about this verse at all the day my sweet Abigail went to Heaven, but as I heal & as I look back I see the hope.
How is it possible to see hope in times like these?!
God knew.
& that's where I find my hope. He knew what was going to happen & He knew that if I didn't have Him, all hope would be lost.
I don't know why she didn't get healed, but I know I'm being healed now. If I continue to live looking back & wondering why this happened to me, I'll miss life.
The hope of the Christian is that, I will see my little girl again. She's in Heaven & that's where I plan to go because I confess Jesus as my Savior & Lord of my life.
He didn't take her away from me, but He's holding her for me now. I miss her, but I'm going to see her again.
So as I continue to live on this earth & accomplish the call that He's placed on my life I can say, "today is the day that He's made & I'm going to rejoice in it."
There's no pain or sorrow that He cannot heal. It might not feel that way now or even for the next weeks or months of your life, but please if you believe nothing else, believe that if you keep turning to Jesus - He will fix what is broken.
~Amie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)