FREEDOM

Who the Son sets free is free indeed! 

That doesn't mean that your enemy will shut his mouth, but that does mean it doesn't matter what he says! 

Can I get a hallelujah?! 

I've been thinking so much about this lately. Everyone goes through battles: emotional, physical, mental, etc. There's no new battle for anyone, ever, in the history of the world. The devil's the same jerk he's always been, pulling the same stunts he's always pulled. I'm so glad the Bible tells us that we have the victory through Jesus, we're more than over-comers, greater is He that's in us & no weapon formed against us will prosper! Praise God!!

Did you know that walking in victory doesn't mean your enemy will stop trying to talk to you about the battle? The devil will try to convince you that the battle is still raging, but did you also know that he's the father of lies?! 

Just because the enemy tries to come back at you with something you've been set free from in the past doesn't mean you're back in that trench, it just means your enemy needs to be reminded that who the Son sets free is free indeed. Remember he's a deceiver, he's going to try & tell you that it's back. Right then & there it's your choice who you're going to believe - the devil who's lying to you & telling you that the battle is back, or Jesus Christ who not only defeated satan & took the keys from him, but who set you free to walk in abundant life & Who told you that no weapon formed against you will prosper? Which one will you believe...because you'll have the fruit of that decision. 

If you wait to rejoice in your victory until the devil leaves you alone, sweet loved one, you will never get the opportunity to rejoice. You need to answer those wrong thoughts, words, symptoms, & emotions that are trying to tell you that you didn't win & you're back in the battle. Authority has been given to you & now must be taken by you! Any gift you ever get is of no good to you unless you apply it to it's purpose. God has gifted us authority, now apply it! Speak the Word, pray, repent, forgive, answer, & declare & rejoice in the victory that belongs to you!

Regardless of what you feel like right now, begin to do an act of faith over your situation... rejoice, sing, dance & watch God come into it. The step of faith might not always feel good or even real to your 5 physical senses, but the result of it will be power-packed! 

Galatians 5:1 - For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

-Amie 

- the eye is single -

- the eye is single - 

Huh? What's that even mean? 

My husband preached a message in youth like a week ago & it's still rolling around in my spirit. He was talking on Matthew 6 & the eye being the lamp of the body. It was pretty memorable when he held two phones up to his eyeballs & walked around with the flashlights on. LOL! 

It made an impression on me, because the light didn't illuminate the entire room, it only illuminated what he turned his eyes towards. 

If you go up a bit in the same chapter it talks about your treasure & your heart. You focus on what you treasure & soon after your heart follows where you've been focusing. 

A lot of times I think people feel bad about themselves because they aren't "as spiritual as they should be." (Bonus Tip: Comparison is not the correct measuring tool of spirituality. Look to others as examples to follow & to be inspired, but look to God to be your judge & standard. He's much better at it then your insecure, renewed mind will ever be & don't forget, good leadership helps too).

Anyways, back to the topic. It's okay to be convicted about not living on the level you should, but it's also an easy fix. The eye is single, remember? Change your focus, change your life. Yes, it's that simple, it's just not that quick. 

Your eye is single, meaning your lamp can only focus on one thing at a time. If you're shining your light on the things of this world then you won't be able to maintain your focus/passion/determination & eventually your heart for the things of God. If you hear right, that can be so freeing! You can stop condemning yourself for "being a bad person" & realize you just weren't focused on the right thing. 

There are things everyday fighting for your focus, why? If they can get your focus, they can eventually get your heart. Listen, we've got to step up & take responsibility for our eyes. It's our job to control where we look, but don't let that add pressure because His yoke is easy & His burden is light. You can't do it out of your own strength, but that's why we have the Holy Spirit who is our Helper! Do your part to keep your eyes on God & watch His light yoke begin to unfold in your life. You'll be amazed at the ease of walking with Him... of walking in His light... & walking in the abundant life that He has for you! 

Happy 2018 y'all!!
-Amie

no longer slaves

I'm learning more & more that life tries to dictate, but it's not a very nice dictator. It pushes & demands & pulls from you. Every once in a while it'll throw a crumb your way, but then demand it of you hours later. How do people live like that? No wonder people get worn out with a taskmaster like life!

It reminds me of the children of Israel when they lived in Egypt.

It was never God's best for them to be slaves. You'd think that would be obvious, but how many of us are slaves to life? That's not God's best for us either!

When Israel was in Egypt, they were busy building another man's kingdom, but when they got free & FINALLY got to the promise land where they belonged, they started taking hold of the lands God had for them!

If you let life dictate to you it will always try to suck you dry, but if you let God tell you what to do, who to marry, how to invest, what to say, what to think, how to act, where to go to church, where to work... HE WILL ONLY ADD TO YOU. You might have to fight some giants (in fact, you WILL), but greater is He that's in us than he that's in the world.

I'm not one of those "nothing-bad-will-ever-happen-to-you-Christians," but I am one of those "NO-MATTER-WHAT-HAPPENS-YOU'RE-MORE-THAN-A-CONQUEROR-CHRISTIANS!"

& God's Word & prayer is how you get there.

His Word is a lamp to our feet & a light to our path. When it's alive inside of us, it's like a well that we can draw from in every situation. It builds our faith & TEACHES US WHAT'S TRUE!

When you're at work, or driving in your car, out to eat, shopping, at soccer practice, the vet, etc...PRAYER KEEPS YOU PREPARED. Prayer keeps your heart sensitive to God's voice because it's like a phone line between you & Him. He's talking to you & you're talking to Him.

So when life is good & fun & busy, you're full & you've got a direct line.

& if life gets crazy & hard & busy, you're full & you've got a direct line.

God has called you to overcome & live victorious. The promise land didn't just happen & victory won't just magically happen either, but it can be taken ahold of by faith! Get active, get strong & get all that God has for you.

Praise

Oh the power of praise! 

My friends are you going through a hard time? Look up & praise. 
Are you having the best time of your life? Look up & praise! 

We must fight to always maintain our praise. We must not lose sight of God through the pain & we must not forget Him in the joy. 

I was inspired by Paul today. Always contented; always praising. He learned to be content in every circumstance. He learned to praise no matter what. 

Praise might not immediately change the facts about your circumstances, but it changes you & it changes your vision. Praise ignites faith & faith brings "steadfastness." If I'm being honest, I can't stop there...praise CAN change the facts immediately! It did for Paul & Silas! (Acts 16) Be it unto you according to your faith!

Emotions will convince you that your problem is big, but praise brings God back into focus. The closer you are to something, the more of your vision is takes up. Stay close to God, keep your eyes, your heart, your emotions on Him & you'll see your life, your family, friends, money, etc correctly. 

I love the Psalms because it deals with real life & it brings God into every situation. No matter who is against you or what is attacking your body, relationships, money, or any thing else - there is a song that you can sing & there is an answer from God. 

Praise is the moment your attention belongs to God. As you sing...whether it's a popular worship song or a new song out of your heart...it's about Him. You're not thinking about yourself, your problems, or anyone who might be listening. Your words belong to Him. Your heart feels like it could burst out of your chest because every word you sing holds such weight & yet they aren't enough. God is so worthy, so perfect, so deserving, so wonderful that all your words fall short, but love & awe are pouring out of you & you don't want to stop. Sometimes you can't even say a word & all you can do is stretch your arms high towards Him or dance or yell because how does a mere human express enough love & thankfulness & worship to his Creator, his Savior, his Deliverer?! 

Even as I wrote these words, my focus shifted to Him, to His majesty...I couldn't think about myself when I began to imagine Him, when I began to release my praise, & give Him my words & my adoration. It's like a floodgate. Once it starts, it's hard to stop. 

You might feel like everything within you doesn't want to start, do it anyways! Trust Him, trust His process. There is freedom waiting on the other side of your obedience. There is freedom on the other side of submitting your flesh to His truth. There is healing, there is breakthrough, there is more. 

Psalm 16:7-11 
I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Happy New Year

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. 

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! 

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. 

"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

short, but encouraging

Some thoughts...

When everything falls apart, your strength will not be enough. 
Lean in to Jesus.
For He is your Shield & Buckler, He is round about you. 
He is the One who is strong enough & His strength never fails or wears out. 
He cannot become weary or tired. 
He is your constant, He is your stay. 
Encourage yourself in the Lord, in His promises & in His truth,
For the joy of the Lord is your strength, not the joy that's found in life. 
Life changes, God does not. 

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. 

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

Joy is on your horizon

I know sometimes it feels like it's impossible to walk, but you can put one foot in front of the other. 

I have a new revelation of Jesus walking to Golgotha. He was beaten, bruised, bleeding...so much so, that someone else had to carry His cross, but still in all the agony & pain He put one foot in front of the other. 

That's how I know I can make it, because He did. 

You might be broken & hurting, but keep walking. Keep moving towards the cross. You'll get there. & then once you get there, lay everything down at that cross & let God consume it, and watch and see the new, abundant life that He brings you. 

It seems like such a contradiction to bring your pain to the cross, but if we do not lay it down how could we ever bear it? It is not ours to bear, for He already did. He took the pain we could not heal & healed it. He took the hurt we could not bear & bore it. He did it all.

No one ever told me that I'd want to hold onto my grief. Somehow in my twisted human emotions it made me feel close to my daughter, but Jesus took that grief & turned it into joy. That's His promise. I'm not losing memories of my little girl, I'm gaining healing & the ability to remember her without sorrow in my heart. I'll always ache for her, but that aching is not painful because I know I'll see her again. 

The sorrow you are facing is not your destination. Joy is on your horizon, keep putting one foot in front of the other & let the cross do it's work. He will not fail you. 

The argument fizzles...

A little nugget I've discovered...

The argument fizzles when I stop trying to defend myself. This works whether I'm right or wrong in the situation. 

It's the moment when I reel in my emotions & understand that I love this person more than how I'm treating them right now & there is a better, more productive way to have this discussion. 

When did proving my point become more important than loving this person? 

Discussions can be had without arguing, but arguing never produces real discussions. It can only produce hurt & confusion because arguments are all based in pride. The pride of being right or defending your own actions.

Pride is sneaky & insidious. It sneaks into your life disguised as hurt feelings or justification. It wants to keep the argument alive until the other person either apologizes or concedes.  

The Bible on the other hand tells us that pride brings destruction & that God resists it. It also tells us to be offended at nothing.

That's the goal we move towards. Letting him love us, so that we can love others. 

It doesn't mean we'll never have a spirited discussion, but if we can learn to discuss out of love then not only will our topic most likely get resolved, but our relationships will flourish. 

People are worth our patience & our relationships are worth our self-control. 

1 Cor 13:4 

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant

James 4:6

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 

“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

That's my hope.

His grace is sufficient for you.

That means that no matter what you have to face, the ability HE GIVES YOU is enough to win over it. 

Whether or not the outcome is what you preferred, you have the ability to outlast & not just maintain, but overcome.

Paul said that he gloried in his tribulation. I'm not there yet, but I have hope that as my relationship develops with the Lord, I too will gain the kind of revelation Paul had. 

That's the promise of it all. As I decrease, He increases & God's way of thinking & seeing is so much better than I could ever fathom. 

Jesus didn't just die on the cross. He made an impact before, during & after the crucifixion. Regardless of your tragedy, if Christ is in you, you have the power to make an impact before, during & after it. 

That's my hope. That is His faithfulness.

I know the pain will continue to heal & I know God's grace will continue to be sufficient. 

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

but the LORD delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:19

It was a Wednesday.

This time last year, I didn't know it, but it was going to be the worst time of my life. 

Abigail was getting ready to go to Heaven. We spent all night loving her, being with her & in the early morning she went to be with Jesus.

We went back to the Ronald McDonald House & slept for a few hours, packed up our stuff & headed home.

I remember that long drive home. It was a Wednesday. 

I remember it was a Wednesday because as we got closer to home we both looked at each other & said, "I kind of want to be in church." 

We parked around the back of the building, went through a side door & sat in the back office on a couch & just listened to the message being preached. There was a lot happening in that dark, quiet back office. We didn't hear all of the message, we didn't participate in praise & worship, we had no offering to bring, but we just needed to be in church. 

I don't think we knew it at the time, but I truly believe that was the foundation of our healing. It was as if we slammed a stake in the ground & said, "We're going to keep doing what we know to do."

It wasn't always a pretty road to walk. We didn't always feel like continuing to do what was right & sometimes we just didn't. But we never stayed there long, we knew the only way out was by doing what was right.

I can't imagine my life without my church. Not only is my church family the very best of the best, but the truth & the standard & the hope that I have gained from immersing myself in church life has kept me. 

We weren't meant to do life alone. We weren't meant to go through the hard stuff alone. We weren't meant to celebrate alone. God wants to bring us into a family. There is strength in numbers. Don't run away from the one place that tells you the truth & helps your faith. Even if the words feel like they sting, don't remove yourself from the House. Faith comes by hearing & hearing by the Word of God. Stay where the Word is preached, stay where your faith can grow, & you'll see your healing come. 

Psalm 133:1-3

A Song of Ascents. Of David. 

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! 

It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, 

on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! 

It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! 

For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

< forgiveness >

Here's a fun lesson,

Being wronged in life entitles you to nothing, rather it demands that you grow. 

It's a hard one to swallow, I know. BUT...

If you grow & forgive & move on, YOU become stronger. If you hold on to the wrong, IT will hold on to you & IT will become stronger. 

Think about Jesus as He hung there on the cross. After all the miracles He had done, all the people He had helped & all the love He had shown...they crucified Him....they tortured Him. Some of His final words were, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Not too long after those words were spoken, the suffering ended & He rose again to new life. 

Today, no matter what wrong has been perpetrated against you, you have the choice to forgive & become stronger through it. Don't let someone else's actions keep you from rising up out of the ashes into resurrected life! Power comes from laying it all down & trusting that God knows what He's doing. 

To forgive doesn't mean to subject yourself, rather it means to free yourself. Sometimes that freedom looks like a restored relationship & other times it's a severed one. Either way, when you forgive you no longer allow a circumstance to dominate you. We're called to be servants of God, not our situations. Simply obey, He will never lead you astray.

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, 

Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, 

as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. 

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 

Matthew 6:9-13

well-oiled

Thinking about "the anointing" today!

It seems like such an epic word...& it is, but it's also very simple. Maybe it's the simplicity of it all that makes it epic!? 

The word anointing in the Bible has to do with oil & lots of it! God's plan is for us to live our lives like well-oiled machines! 

Without oil you're machine might run for a little bit, but eventually it'll seize up. Oil is designed to smooth out the friction & keep the parts moving. Oil keeps your machine from over heating & helps clean out impurities. 

You were made to run & run well. Running well depends entirely on your oil supply. Life will try to drain you of your oil. The devil wants you to try make things work by your own strength, except we weren't built like that. We were built to rely on the oil. 

It's His anointing that destroys yokes & breaks off bondage's in our lives. It's His anointing that sets us apart & enables us to accomplish what He has designed for us to accomplish. No calling was ever meant to be fulfilled without His anointing, & in fact it cannot be. 

What does it mean to have the anointing? It's really the simplest of all things. It means that you have God with you. It's not some super-special-secret-code, rather it's a super-special-cultivated-relationship between you & the Father...something that everyone can have.

Acts 10:30
"how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him."

Jesus had a specific mission that He accomplished because God was with Him. Why would we try to do it any other way? His life is that perfect example of how to make through both the good & the bad. Stay close to the Father. 

It's easier to keep an engine running on a regular basis than try to start one up that's been sitting around for years or fix one that's seized up. Do yourself a favor & stay oily! Ups & downs will come & go, but the oil will keep you running smoothly. 

where to look

What do you do when everything around you reminds you of the battle you're in?

The song "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" sounds off in my heart. 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

I'll be the first to admit, it's not always easy when life is smack in front of your face jumping up & down like a crazy person & yelling "look at me, look at me!!" 

But the good news my friends is that we don't have to do it in our own strength. When you feel like you can't look away from life, tell Him that! When you feel like you can't hear anything but life, tell Him that. & when you feel like you just can't muster up the faith....tell Him that. 

Rest in the fact that He said His strength is made perfect in our weakness. He'll help you look to Him. 

We were never made to deal with life on our own. The plan from the beginning was that He would walk & talk with us. He wants to hear when we're struggling & He wants to hear when we're winning & He wants to be involved in both. 

He doesn't expect us to muster anything up in our own strength. In fact, He says the opposite,

"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.” Matthew 11:28-30

So come to Jesus, no matter how you feel. & by "come" I simply mean begin to tell Him where you're at & what you're feeling. Open up a dialog with Him, that simple act is walking by faith - it means you believe He is real & He is listening. Continue to walk in faith by believing that He will answer. 

He will.

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.

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.

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. 

every. time.

Thinking about the book of Ruth today. 

The tragedy & triumph. 

It's a fantastic love story, but it was born out of real sorrow.

There is no heartbreak that the Father cannot recompense. 

Life won't always make sense or feel good, but if we continue to walk in obedience & have faith in God, He will make straight our crooked path. 

His faithfulness is boundless.

You might ask, if He is so faithful then why do bad things happen? I can't tell you why bad things happen, but I can tell you that I would rather have Him helping me in the aftermath than try to face it alone. He's the foundation that won't crumble no matter what I have to face. So I know that when the hard times end, I'll still be standing...not because I am strong, but because He is strong (2 Cor 12:9). It certainly takes the pressure off. 

Life comes to us all; it's our decision to walk through it with Him or alone. & I'll take Him every time. 

Isaiah 42:16 

And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; 

I will lead them in paths that they have not known: 

I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. 

These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.