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The Hard Things In Your Life
Don’t shy away from the hard realities of your life.Let me say that again— Don’t ignore, downplay, or dismiss the difficult realities of your life. By being honest with yourself and honest with trusted individuals in your life & with God, you take steps toward wholeness.It’s okay to not have the answers for your difficult circumstances when you do share. By sharing about those— painful and difficult things, the painful realities of your life— with trustworthy, empathetic, and kind people— You can take steps toward wholeness. You are not alone dealing with that reality. Your friend doesn’t have to have wise words or answers for your problems, but they do…
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Christ’s Power On Display In Our Weakness & In Our Struggles
What do you need God’s power for in your life right now—today? What struggles are you carrying? What are you trying to do on your own? 2 Corinthians 12:9 says: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” Paul was honest about his humanity and weaknesses and also so attuned to God’s heart. The way of God is so different from the way of the world. The way of the world will tempt us to try to hide our failings, mistakes, and issues from other…
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A Metamorphosis: God’s Transformative Work As We Embrace His Plans For Our Life
What would life be like if we embraced rather than fought the transformative work the Lord wants to do in our life? What would your life be like if you truly, earnestly sought the Lord for what His desires and plans were for your one life— what His fully encompassing will for your life was? Well, we are going to dive into the beginning of Romans 12 today to try to understand more fully what this looks like and why it’s important. Romans 12:1–2 (NASB): “I urge you brethren…present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be…
- Encouragement, Fighting for Joy, Focusing on Truth, Mental Health, Prayer, Resting In Peace, spiritual warfare
RELINQUISH CONTROL
It doesn’t feel good to not be in control. In control of our life. Our choices. Our struggles. Our emotions. Our relationships. Our work. To not be on top of everything. Doing well in the many facets of life. It doesn’t feel good— It doesn’t feel comfortable. And yet, being in control is just an illusion. It is not reality. We are not actually in control or even have the actual ability to have control over all the things we interact with in our life on a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly basis. So much is outside our control and we will expend so much energy trying to force things to…
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Running after Truth- Through God & Therapy; Becoming a Healthier Self
Truth. God’s truth. Seeking after the truth of something is an integral part of who I am. Writing down the truth, listening to the truth through songs and sound preaching, not taking someone else’s word for it just because I look up to them or they are important in my life. Verifying that what they are saying is truth by studying God’s word for myself. Seeking truth. Reading truth from the Bible and reading books from trusted Biblical scholars. Seeking truth. Friend, are you also seeking God’s truth out for yourself and studying God’s word on your own? Are you having truth-filled inputs throughout your day with songs based in…
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Let my words & thoughts be pleasing to you God!
Lord, let the words that I use to communicate today be pleasing to you Lord. Let the thoughts I have and the things I think a lot on and worry over, plan for, and potentially even ruminate about- Let it be honoring to you. Allow me the breath and space Father to breathe in you and exhale everything that is not of you. The demands and stresses that I am not to carry all on my own. You hold me in your hands. You have me. Lord, let me truly believe that and walk in that truth today with my head held high and my heart at peace, whether or…
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God- The One With Us In Every Battle & Storm We Face
The song “Another in the Fire” by Hillsong United is so powerful with the imagery of the story of the fiery furnace and the story of Moses and the parting the Red Sea- The imagery of God being present in those moments. The last part of the song says: “There’ll be another in the fire Standing next to me There’ll be another in the waters Holding back the seas And should I ever need reminding How good You’ve been to me I’ll count the joy come every battle ‘Cause I know that’s where You’ll be” Other words in the song that are so powerful to me are “Either way I…
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Fully Persuaded Faith & Hope- Like Abraham
I’ve been reading through the New Testament book of Romans recently. Chapter 4 deals with Abraham’s faith and how his faith was credited to him as righteousness (Rom. 4: 9b). He came long before Jesus came with a new covenant to make a way for sinful man to have eternal life and relationship with God again. Restored relationship. Redeemed relationship- with the Father who loved us so greatly (Read how greatly in John 3:16 and consider what that would be like). Abraham’s faith astounds me. Humbles me. Makes me want to aspire to it. God brought forth a miracle in the lives of Abraham and Sarah when they had no…
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Both. And. Acknowledging Thanksgiving & Pain Simultaneously
Did you know that thanksgiving and pain can be present at the same time? Both. And. As I look back on the painful and difficult circumstances of my life, I am aware of God in the midst. The God who sees me. The God who redeems the broken and the painful things. The God, who brings newness of life to death. He is the God of hope. I am thankful for how God is using the stories and difficult circumstances in my life for His glory. I am also able to be honest about the reality of life—The brokenness, the painful circumstances. Both. And. They can both be present at…
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You are a conqueror through Christ- God cares for you in the storms!
I’ve been singing and meditating on the song “ Gonna Be Alright” by Ryan Ellis the past couple days & some of the words that resonated are “Everything’s gonna be alright… You hold me in your arms until my storm is calm.” I don’t know what you are walking through today friend, what storm in your life is brewing or full on trying to knock you down, but I know some of my own storms… If I set my eyes on Jesus for His help, His strength, His guidance, His protection during the trials, the storms, the pain, the hurt, the problems in this life, I know I will be…
