Grateful For My Gift

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I’m sitting in my quiet space. The sun is peeking through the window, bringing light into my morning. I am read up, prayed up, and ready for this new day. The last couple of weeks have been spent in planning for this weekend’s retreat, where 36 women will come together in the mountains to refresh their souls, make new friends, and hopefully walk away with a clear vision of how to use the spiritual gifts God has given them.

To be honest, I am tired. The planning and preparation for this event has been a lot of work. Even being split between two people, the work has been much. I have to smile when I think about it because it is so obvious now what message God is trying to send me.

In all this work to prepare this retreat that is designed around helping women find, acknowledge, and put to use their spiritual gifts….God has been offering me the opportunity to use mine. God has given me the gift of being able to plan, prepare, and present, the gift of teaching. I have planned. I have prepared. Now I will head to the mountains to present.

1 Peter 4:10 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace…” Share on X

This weekend I get the opportunity to serve God by serving these women. This weekend I get the pleasure of being a good steward of what God has so graciously given me.

Thank you Lord that you trust me to serve you. Thank you that you give me this opportunity to make a difference for Your kingdom. May all that I do being glory to You!

An Every Day Love

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As we are celebrating Valentine’s Day, I am compelled to write on the subject of love. Social media will be filled with posts depicting all the fabulous ways people express their love for each other on this special day of LOVE. Oh, the anticipation! Oh, how we wait to see if our expectations are met! Oh, the value we place in the declarations made on this one day!

I am a typical woman. I enjoy expressions of love from my husband on Valentine’s Day. And while it is all so sweet, I try to keep my focus on the expressions of love that I receive all throughout the year….you know, the ones that can so easily be taken for granted.

I am so very loved by my hubby. He makes sure I know it every single day. He is the cook in our family, and is always eager to make sure our taste buds are delighted. He is quick with a compliment. He brings me flowers “just to make me smile”. He gets up every morning and makes my “morning concoction”… a health drink we are trying to be diligent about. He never gets tired of holding my hand. Unlike a lot of husbands I know, he never wants time alone, but always wants more time with me. He hates to go to bed without me, and will watch my sappy Hallmark movies just to get to sit together and cuddle. He is always trying to make me laugh with his strange sense of humor, and he does his best to keep me from over complicating my schedule. His is my biggest supporter and greatest source of encouragement. I never doubt for a moment that I am loved.

As much as I am loved by this special man, I also know that I am loved even more by my Father in heaven. After all, He is the One who brought this man into my life. He also blessed me with my children, and this beautiful life I live. Oh, how He loves me! Oh, how He loves you! “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8. There is just no greater love than that.

How can we ever repay a God who loves us so greatly? The best way we can honor Him is to love him with all of our hearts and to love one another.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7  This is not just a good idea….it is a commandment straight from the Almighty, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” John 15:12

It is my belief that before we can experience fully the love of others, we must fully experience the love of God. It is through that unique relationship with Him, that love like no other, that our hearts are opened to their fullest capacity. Once our hearts are opened to the love of God, they are ready to receive the love of others in a way that has so much meaning and completeness.

It is my belief that before we can experience fully the love of others, we must fully experience the love of God. Share on X

So, celebrate LOVE today. Celebrate LOVE everyday. Take time to thank God for loving us so much that He sacrifice his son for our sins. Open your heart to Him and take all the love, grace, and compassion He has to offer. Then enjoy those He brings into your lives. Love them, appreciate them, hold them close. Stop and take notice of the little things, and appreciate them with a new sense of importance.

Stop and take notice of the little things, and appreciate them with a new sense of importance. Share on X

Don’t celebrate love only in the days set aside for that purpose, but celebrate it EVERY DAY!

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A Marriage Prayer

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Father, we come before you this morning as wives who love their husbands. We are wives who want to be the best we can be and glorify You in our marriages. Help us to love, respect, honor, cherish, and serve our husbands in a way that pleases You and blesses them. Help us to be humble before them, willing to put forth our greatest effort to make our marriages shine for You. Help us to be their greatest supporter and encourager as they navigate through life. Show us the way to be trustworthy, dedicated partners to the man of our hearts. Thank You for the blessing of a wonderful husband, and thank You for bringing this special person into each of our lives to love. In Jesus’ name ~ Amen. “The heart of her husband safely trusts her, so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.” Proverbs 31:11-12

He is Our Strength

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Life is full of battles…health battles, financial battles, relationship battles, and spiritual battles.  In order to be the over comers God created us to be, we must equip ourselves for the battle.  We do this by putting on the armor of God, by preparing ourselves for what can and will come our way.  We spend time in the Word of God, getting familiar with His promises, understanding what He expects of us.  We spend time in communication through prayer, asking God for the strength and wisdom to battle through our obstacles.  We spend time in fellowship with others who believe, who can encourage and inspire us.  Through these steps, we gain courage and direction. Through these steps, we gain strength and knowledge.  Through this seeking, we gain the ability to walk through our battles, with Christ at our side, and come out the other side victorious.  There is VICTORY in Jesus.  through him, we are so much MORE than conquerors!

The Great Rescuer

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If you are feeling lost, broken, or troubled…call on Him! He will pull you from the dark waters and set your feet upon dry land. He will calm your storms and soothe your sorrows. He will shed a light on your path and lead to you to victory. He is the ultimate 9-1-1 for your soul.

Act as You Speak

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What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? James 2:14

We are told that we should share the Word. We are encouraged to speak to others about our faith. We are expected to encourage others into receiving the gospel. We use our voices to make our faith known to others. We share our words, and we hope they take note of what we are saying. We hope they take us seriously when it comes to our faith in God.

As believers, we need to remember that people have ears to hear, but they also have eyes to see. It is not enough to speak the words to them, we have to live it out so that they can see it.

Does your life match the words you speak? Do your daily actions demonstrate your faith to those around you? Is your faith evident, even without words? If you speak of love, do your offer it? When you speak of compassion, does it flow freely from you? When you talk about forgiveness, do you give it readily?

Jesus spoke the gospel. His actions matches his words. And while we are not Jesus, we are his representation on this earth when we declare that we are believers in the faith. Let us not misrepresent our Savior. Let us offer those sweet words of salvation, and let us make sure our actions match our words, so that those who HEAR and SEE us will believe.

A Prayer of Gratitude

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Thank you Father that you are the giver of all good things. Thank you that You never bring evil to us, but that your radiant light shines upon us, bringing that which is good and pleasing to You. May we always remember and appreciate that goodness comes not from ourselves, but from You, and may we reflect on this with gratitude for your generosity and love. ~ Amen.

Praising Him

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God is so good to us. I look around and see evidence of His works all around me. The beautiful sun that shines through my window speaks of His radiance. The quiet morning reminds me of His calming spirit. The children in my home give me confirmation of His abundant blessings. My husband is proof of God’s unfailing love. My father in the other room confirms to me that my God is a God of miracles. Yes….He is so very good!

He lives in my heart. Because of that, I can lift my voice in praises of gratitude for all He has given me. I can sing with joy for all that is yet to come. I can draw nearer to the Holy Spirit by opening my heart to the music of His love. I don’t have to have a beautiful voice. I don’t have to be on key. I don’t even have to know all the words to the song. I only have to love Him and desire to praise Him, and He takes my songs of praise and turns them into a sweet melody.

Thank you Lord that You are so very good. Thank you that your Holy Spirit lives within me. Thank you that because of Your love, I can lift my voice in beautiful praise. Thank you that You receive my songs of rejoicing as if they were a gift of gold and rubies. Help me, Lord, to never stop singing your praises.

CHOSEN

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But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful life. (1 Peter 2:9)

How are you feeling this morning? Are you feeling set apart? Are you feeling like God’s special possession? This morning, as you begin your day, do you feel CHOSEN?

Scripture tells us that we are His chosen people. I can think of nothing greater than to be chosen by God, to be considered His special possession. Oh….if only we could feel that way ALL the time! But life gets in the way. We get tired and worn down. We get discouraged. Something happens that makes our self-esteem plummet. We feel over-looked, under-appreciated, and not so worthy. Sometimes our sinful nature tugs at us until we are back under the cloak of sin, and cannot find the light.

The beautiful news is that no matter how we might be feeling, we ARE God’s chosen ones. He will call us out of whatever darkness we are hiding under, and He will shine His brightness upon us. He will bring us into the wonderful life He has promised for us, so that we can praise His holy name. All we have to do is BELIEVE!

Just a Tourist

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I’m just a tourist today, visiting the big city while my husband is in meetings. I am left to my own designs, free to walk the streets of downtown Los Angeles, free to sit outside a corner coffee shop and eat my breakfast and ponder.

There are so many people passing by. Everyone looks as if they are in a hurry. There are men is designer suits, women with high heels and briefcases, joggers, moms holding the hands of their children, and many brave hearts on bicycles weaving their way through the relentless traffic. Drivers are in such a hurry to beat the traffic lights that I actually saw a truck pull out in front of a responding rescue vehicle. There are also those who appear to carry their homes on their backs, hurrying to find shelter on this rainy day. I sit here, in my jacket yet still slightly shivery, taking it all in.

As I watch them, I wonder….how many of them know Jesus? How many of them are walking, or slightly running, through this day with the intent and purpose of sharing the gospel with those they meet? How many are looking to be the light in the darkness of this City of Angels? And then I think….how many of these passers by are in need of the gospel? How many are hurting and alone, even in their high end careers, and could use an expression of kindness? How many are sick, tired, or sick and tired? How many could use a little light in their life?

So what can I do? Like I said, I am just a tourist today. I am on the outside looking in. Even so, I am still a child of God. I am still a lamp stand in the darkness. I am still a spreader of his love. So I will do my best to spread a little joy into these frantic hearts. I will smile, I will say “God bless you”, I will offer a meal or some spare change, and maybe….just maybe….God will give me an opportunity to tell someone all about His wondrous works….if anyone will slow down long enough to listen.

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