I remember growing up my Grandma Marsha had two quotes in her kitchen window. One was, "Let go and Let God." The other read, "Good morning! I will be handling all of your problems today so have fun and enjoy! Love, God." What beautiful reminders to wake up to every day. We tend to be good at letting circumstances control us, letting our stress get the best of us, and worrying about things out of our control. I always have to remind myself to stop worrying about things, after all, worrying isn't going to help or change the outcome. The relieving news is that God doesn't ask us to figure it all out. He wants us to immediately turn to Him in times of stress, placing our concerns in His sovereign hands. He Has complete control over our lives and He can take care of any problem that arises. Take a moment each day to release your worries, let go, and let God have control. Free yourself from any negative thoughts and be content knowing that He has everything under control. When we trust Him enough to give up control, He has the power to transform. Watch to see what He can do. Commit everything into His care, and turn from the path of planning to the path of peace. He wants us to trust Him to use the difficulty for good in our lives. And as soon as we place our worries in His hands, He will place peace in our hearts, and we will see the good He can bring out of every situation.
Prayer for peace: "Dear Lord, please help me to take all of my worries and place them in Your loving hands, allow me to let go and let you have control over all that concerns me, replace my restlessness with Your peace. Amen." "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."- 1 Peter 5:7 "When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I." -Psalm 61:2 "God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him." - Psalm 37:7 "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"- Matthew 6:27 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble."-Psalms 46:1 "When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul."- Psalm 94:19 "If we prayed as much as we worried we'd have a lot less to worry about it." "We want God to prove Himself so we can trust Him, God wants us to trust Him so He can prove Himself." "When my need for control starts controlling me, I need to stop and ask God for His perspective and peace." "Just do your best and let God do the rest." "Worrying does not empty tomorrow of it's troubles, it empties today of its strength." "Anything under God's control is never out of control." "One of the happiest moments in life is when you find the courage to let go of what you can't change." "Whatever is worrying you right now, forget about it. Take a deep breath, and trust in God." "Though my world is shaky and uncertain, I can rest in the arms of a completely unshakable God." Let go of your own will, and let God have full control. As soon as we release our worries into God's hands we can feel at peace. Take a deep breath, let go & let God. Thanks for reading! Have a great day!
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Have you ever been in a season where you're waiting for God to fulfill a dream or desire He's placed in your heart? Maybe you're in one right now. God places us in a season of waiting to draw us closer to Him, to fully rely on Him, and to trust that His timing is perfect. You are exactly where God wants you to be right now, every experience is apart of His divine plan for your life. The Lord says, "When the time is RIGHT, I can transform your long-held hopes into delightful reality."
God has three answers to our requests, "Yes", "Not yet", or, "I have something better in mind." Sometimes we struggle to be patient and give up control. We get our minds set on something, the plan looks perfect to us, we have it all under control, and we want it to happen right away. What we forget is that we're not in control and we can't see the big picture. We tend to get frustrated, impatient, and sometimes give up hope when things don't go exactly as want them to or happen right when we think they should. God see's how all of the pieces fit together and has our best interest in mind. Hold onto His promises, He knows when we're ready for that next big step. In our waiting season, we can find rest in the fact that we can be content in all circumstances because we have God at all times and He is all we need. Enjoy where you are at this very moment, live in the present, and focus on all the blessings in your life. Remain hopeful and prayerful, sending your requests to God and trusting that when the time is right He will answer them. Remain joyful, and praise the Lord with thanksgiving. Keep your faith and learn to lean on Him even more, knowing that He understands far more about us than we do ourselves. When the time is right, He will create a breakthrough. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Worrying about how or when it is going to happen is not our job, our job is to just believe, trust Him wholeheartedly, and keep the faith. "God has perfect timing for everything. Learn to wait on Him. This brings Him honor, and it brings you peace."- Psalm 27:14 "But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, we wait for it with patience and composure."- Romans 8:25 "I wait for The Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope."-Psalm 130:5 "Be still and rest in The Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him."- Psalm 37:7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."- Philippians 4:6-7 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."- Galatians 6:9 "In the multitude of my anxious thoughts within me, Your comforts cheer and delight my soul!"- Psalm 94:19 "I remain confident of this, I will see the goodness of The Lord."- Psalm 27:13 "Jesus replied, You don't understand what I'm doing now, but someday you will."- John 13:7 A passage from Susie Larson [She's amazing, like her page on Facebook to read her blessings each day!] "May you learn to rest in the finished work of Christ. May you refuse to let your emotions dictate your perspective. You have Jesus, you have His presence, and you have His promises! When what your eyes see are different from what your heart deeply desires, look up and pray. If you're in the 'not-yet' season, take time to worship God because He's all you need. Take time to thank Him to, because He's been good. And dare to ask for the impossible, because He's a wonder-working God." My journal has a never-ending abundance of quotes to share!! "God has perfect timing, never early, never late, it takes a little patience and faith, but it's worth the wait." "When you learn to embrace where you are, that's when God will take you further than you can imagine." "Stress makes you believe everything has to happen right now, faith reassures everything will happen in God's timing." "Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting." "To us, waiting is wasting. To God, waiting is working." "Be where you are, not where you think you should be." "Sometimes when things take longer than you thought they would, its just a gentle reminder that you have more time than you thought, and that there's a journey to enjoy." "Remembering God's goodness fuels me to keep praying and trusting God for those answers yet to come." "I can see the light that is coming for the heart that holds on." "Be positive, patient, and persistent." "Keep your mind going in the right direction and your life will catch up with it." "We often make the mistake of thinking that if we hurry we will be at our future sooner, but it only causes us to lose the present." "Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it." "Great things take time." Below is a helpful link I found with advice while you wait for the God to reveal the next glorious adventure He has in store for you: http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Galleries/5-Ways-To-Endure-When-Youre-Waiting-on-God.aspx?b=1&p=4 Take this time of waiting and focus on your relationship with God. Trust Him and believe in good things to come. Keep your faith, and wait with a patient Heart, His timing is perfect. Thanks for reading today's blog! :) Have a happy & safe Labor Day weekend!! What is my purpose? Some of us may feel like we already know our purpose, others might feel like we're still searching for ours. The best part is that God has a purpose for each and every one of us. We've been saved by the grace of God and we are here for a reason, He is living out a divine plan through us.
"Long before you began seeking Me, I had designs on you for glorious living. My overall purpose embraces and enfolds you—helping you understand who you are, giving meaning to your life." "It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone." -Ephesians 1:11–12 I truly believe our number one purpose is to know God. A quote I read, "I am convinced without a shadow of a doubt that the most valuable pursuit we can embark upon is to know God." In every moment of every day our highest priority is our relationship with Him. Once we seek Him with all of our heart He will shine through us in any way He chooses. What do you like to do? What are you good at it? What are you passionate about? Consider how you can use these interests to serve God. There is a reason He has given you a passion for certain things, some you may have not even discovered yet. Don't be afraid to use them. He has given us all the tools we need to change peoples lives and leave the world a better place, we just have to put them to good use! We don't need to rely on our own abilities to make a difference in this world, allow yourself to be a servant for God and let His spirit work through you. He wants us to dream the impossible, but He also will teach us that the impossible is only made possible by Him. The purpose God has planned for us is not something we can accomplish with our own strength. Ask The Lord to expand your impact and opportunities in such a way that you can touch the lives of His people. Don't walk away from a dream God has placed within your heart, take a closer look and allow Him to display his love and power through you. Sometimes all it takes is to step out of our comfort zone and be willing to wander into what may seem unconformable and unfamiliar to see what God has in store for us. Be willing to use the gifts God has given you to explore opportunities, give back, help others, and serve Him, and then thank Him for those gifts for they are not of our own self-doing. I just finished the book, "When God writes your Life Story." By Eric & Leslie Ludy. It's a great book on finding your true purpose, I recommend it. Here is a passage that really stuck with me: "As lofty as your goals and dreams may be, they probably still miss the definition of true success as defined by heaven. True success is found only when you finally learn to adopt God's purpose statement for your life and relinquish your hold on your own ideas of success. Do not separate God from the details of your daily life. We are here on earth to know God intimately, fully, and correctly, allowing Him to showcase to the world around us His loving nature, His attitude, His thoughts, His emotions, and His actions through the way we live. We are here to simply abide in Him, enjoy Him, and be a vessel for Him to work through to change the world around us." Once we make Knowing him our first priority, He makes our unique role and purpose in this world clear. When we walk with The Lord, surrender our self-gaining ways to Him, and seek ways to live out the purpose He's placed within us, it draws us nearer to Him and we feel purposeful and fulfilled when we use our gifts the way God has intended us to use them. My prayer for purpose: "Dear Lord, thank you for the skills, talents, knowledge, and opportunities you've blessed me with. Please help me to use these gifts to live out my purpose, help others, and serve You. Amen." "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."- Ephesians 2:10 "Whatever you do work at it with all your heart, as though you are working for The Lord and not for people." - Colossians 3:23 "Now to Him Who, by the power that is at work within us, is able to carry out his purpose super-abundantly, far more than we dare to think or ask for, beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams."- Ephesians 3:20 "A man's mind plans his way, but The Lord directs his steps and makes them sure."- Proverbs 19:21 Quotes from my trusty journal: "Make up your mind that you are not going to quit until you see the fruit of what God has placed within you." "You'll never be more satisfied than when you are doing what God created you to do." "Whatever God calls you to do, He equips you to do as well." "Bring so much joy to your job that is can't be called work." "The purpose of life is a life of purpose." "Let your passion lead you to your purpose" "If you love what you do you'll never have to work a day in your life." "Once you become fearless, life becomes limitless." "You are destined to accomplish your dreams, to leave a mark on this world, there is nothing average about you." "Give God your weakness, and He'll give you His strength." "Don't stop until you're proud." "Is what you're living for worth Christ dying for?" "Only those who risk going to far can possibly find out how far they can go." "Let us never hesitate to say, this is only the beginning." Don't be troubled by the fear of failure, God's love for us never fails. Nothing we do, or fail to do, can separate us from God's love. He see's our efforts, passion, and persistence. Take your selfish dreams, desires, and plans, lay them at His feet, and allow Him to work through you in anyway He wishes. Get out there and attempt something so large that failure will be guaranteed unless God steps in, you will be amazed at the wonders of His work. God can do far more than our biggest, most incredible dreams and you have an amazing purpose in this world! Thanks SO much for reading! What is it about a sunset that I love? It makes me stop and put my life on hold as I gaze in awe at the beauty of God's creation. I stare in amazement as I take in the radiant and peaceful site in front of me and feel His presence surrounding me. Anyone who knows me well will tell you that anytime I see a sunset I will capture it, I have hundreds of pictures of sunsets. It's one of my favorite times to communicate with God, reflect, and thank him for everything. It's also time set aside for me, nothing is required or demanded of me, I'm not thinking about my to-do list, I just take time to enjoy the present moment. Sometimes it's even more special shared with someone else.
The Lord says, "I created the world gloriously beautiful, and I want you to appreciate beauty when you see it." Our lives aren't always meant to be busy, productive, and fast-paced. Learn to slow down and enjoy the little things. God's beauty surrounds us everyday we just have to take the time to see it. What is it that gets you to slow down and enjoy the works of The Lord? Maybe you have a favorite place or spot you like to go, maybe it's the sound of the river or birds chirping, the smell of a fresh pot of coffee staring out your window at a gorgeous view, sitting on the porch swing with someone you love, seeing the progress of your flowers or crops as they grow, the still of the morning as you sit in your deer stand, or the the feeling you get sitting in church Sunday morning worshiping with a whole community of believers..whatever it is, take time from your busy life to fully enjoy all of the amazing things God has created and provided for you. God's purpose is not for us to live a hectic life where we are constantly busy and in a rush, sometimes He forces us do less, disconnect ourselves from the world, be in the present, slow down, focus on our inner-selves, and find pleasure in the little things. He has designed a life for us to make time for Him and to relish in all that He has created. He delights in us slowing down to praise Him and all of the glorious wonders of His work. "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands."- Psalm 19:1 "Those who live at the end of the Earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy." -Psalm 65:8 "Earth is crammed with Heaven, you just have to slow down and look at it." "See the endless colors of the sunset, and know that I am holy God." "The man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest." "Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." Here are just a few of the many sunsets I've captured..I'm sure my collection will only continue to grow! Thanks for reading about my obsession with sunsets & why I love them, feel free to comment and share what gets you to slow down, feel God's presence around you, and appreciate His beautiful creation, I'd love to hear!! On a lighter note..here's a little something to make your Monday! This little girl put a big smile on my face, soo cute! There are always many 'unknowns' in life, that is why we have faith. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."- Hebrew 11. How grateful our hearts can be that we have a God who guides us down a perfect pathway He has created for our lives. I felt this very blatantly when I left for college, I faced many unknowns. I was excited and nervous at the same time. It's a time when we are forced to get out our of your comfort zone and away from routine and people we've been surrounded with all our lives. I found it to be a great thing, it brought me closer to God, allowed me to trust Him more, I learned and grew as a person, and met many people who made a positive impact on my life. Venturing into the unknowns strengthens our relationship with Christ, we give up our ability to have control and know what our future holds and we place it in His hands. Even now I often find God keeps me somewhere just long enough to get comfortable and then He says, "I have a new challenge." All of a sudden a new opportunity arises and I feel Him pulling me to explore new things. Just when you think you had it all figured out and things were going smooth, you find out He has something even better in store. A quote I came across, "Not being able to fully understand God is frustrating, but it is ridiculous for us to think we have the right to limit God to something we are capable of comprehending." We aren't capable of doing this journey on our own, that's why we're on a journey with Him. What a great feeling that no matter what journey we embark on the Lord will always be with us. All He asks of us is to trust Him and cling to His hand for strength and direction as we take the next step. Change can seem scary at first, but how beautiful that we have nothing to worry about, The Lord works all things together for good for those who trust and believe in Him. When we try to figure everything out ourselves we're exalting our wants above God's plan for our lives. Let go of fear and invest your energy into trusting Him. He asks us to lean on and be confident in Him with all of our heart and mind as he leads us down our life path, even when we can't see the way before us. He can see yesterday, today, and forever and He knows how our lives fit together. He won't allow us to go backwards. Prayer of the day: "Dear Lord, please help me to have confident Trust in You as we embark on this journey together, put my worried heart at ease by filling me with your strength & love, and light the path before me. Amen." "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."- Josh 1:0 "God works all things together for Good"- Romans 8:28 "Trust in The Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding."- Proverbs 3:5 "Even when you're afraid, keep trusting."- Psalm 56:3 "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself." - Matthew 6:34 "As for God, His way is perfect." -Psalm 18:30 I'm all about the quotes, folks!: "The Bible says 'Fear not!" 365 times, one for each day of the year." "Only God knows how it all turns out and for those who belong to Him, it turns out well." "Worrying about the future is not living." "If you figured it all out today, what would be the point of tomorrow?" "Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and learn to love the questions themselves." "Change always comes bearing gifts." "The best way to predict the future is to create it." "The best thing about the future is it comes one day at a time." "I know God has a plan, I pray for direction to follow it, patience to wait on it, and knowledge to know when it comes." "Don't worry that you are not strong enough before you begin, it is in the journey that God makes you strong." "Be blessed with a quiet heart today..God is taking care of everything that concerns you." "Every morning I spend 15 minutes filling my mind full of God, so there's no room left for worry thoughts." Always remember that anything under God's control is never out of control, He has a perfect plan for our lives, He has the answers to all of our questions, he hears our thoughts & prayers, and His plan is far better than anything we could ever imagine. He is always with us and will lead us in all of the new journeys He has in store for our lives. Don't be afraid to face the unknowns with a known God! Embrace change and eagerly walk as he writes your story! Blessings on your journey, thanks for reading!! "I am in charge of how I feel and today I am choosing happiness."
There is so much truth and power behind that quote. Every day we wake up we have a choice to be happy. Every day is a precious gift from God, let us be grateful & praise Him with joy! Happiness doesn't depend on the material items you have, where you're at in your life, who is in your life, how much money you make, or any other factors. It's sometimes easy to let situations, people, and circumstances have control over our happiness. It all starts with attitude. Positive thoughts lead to a positive attitude, which leads to positive outcomes, and a positive life. It's amazing how much control the mind has over us. I believe a positive attitude creates the pathway to happiness and success. Charles Swindoll once said, "My life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it." There are always going to be ups & downs in life, but we get to choose how we react to them. Ask yourself, "Do I have control over the situation?" If not, it's best to let it go, stop worrying about it, and not let it affect your happiness. If it's in your control, ask yourself what you need to do or change to be happy, and work towards it..starting with your attitude and the way you think. You'll be amazed just by changing your thoughts and not letting your circumstances have control over you how much happier you'll be instantaneously. I say this prayer often throughout my day, "Lord, please help me focus my thoughts on you and see life from your perspective, fill me with the joy of your presence...let the Holy Spirit guide me in my thoughts, words, and my actions." Have you ever noticed how contagious happiness is? When someone else is happy doesn't it make you want to be happy? One of my goals in life is that when people think of me, I want them to instantly think of someone who is happy, optimistic, full of joy, has a Christian spirit, and freely shares that happiness with others. What truly makes me the most happy is making other people happy. I have to share a story that I'll never forget. I was in college, it was a beautiful fall day with lots of sunshine, I was in the student union getting my latte at the cafe. I ordered my usual and without thinking about it gave the lady working a big smile and said thank you. She stared at me for a second and said, "A smile that bright deserves a free latte." I couldn't believe it, what a nice gesture. She told me I was the first person to smile at her all day. Here are some quotes I found in my journal that serve as good reminders to me each day: "Some people would love to have your bad days." "The only difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude" "There are no troubles that we can't rise above with a handful of faith and a heart full of love." "If you don't think every day is a good day, just try missing one." "An attitude of gratitude brings opportunities" "Those who move forward with a happy spirit will find that things always work out." "Why wake up stressing, when waking up is a blessing." "It starts with your thinking. Expect to go higher, to receive good things, and to experience favor on your life." "Shift your focus from the problem, to the problem solver." "Faith is having a positive attitude about what you can do and not worrying at all about what you can't do." Above all, seek The Lord and his promises. Knowing we have everlasting life with Him makes everyday worth living with joy! "You have good reason to be joyful, because you're on your way to Heaven." "This is the day that The Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24 "My whole being is happy."- Psalm 16:9 The Lord says, "Come to Me when you are joyful, and I will share your joy..multiplying it many times over." Thanks for reading my blog! Comment below, I'd love to hear from you! Happy day!! *Scroll down to see previous blogs. Psalm 107:2 says, "Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story."
Mark 16:15 says, And then He told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone." I've decided to start a blog to share my story. Last Sunday in church our pastor explained that your story doesn't have to be something extremely extraordinary to be told, it can simply mean sharing something that another can relate to. My hope is to share my experiences, blessings, setbacks, advice that has helped me, and things I've learned along the way. I love expressing myself and ideas in words. Words have so much power, words can carry endless blessings, words can help and heal, they can teach, words can express feeling & emotions..love, appreciation, joy, etc. God spoke the world into being by the power of His words (Hebrews 11:3). I think we often forget how easy it is to speak kindness. We should never underestimate the power of a kind word. It might change someones life, it could make their whole day, it could completley change their attitude, it could give them a whole new perspective, and it could inspire them to do the same for someone else. My blogs will consist of many different topics- anything I feel I want so share and feel passionate about! Here are some topics already coming to my mind..family, friends, school, health & fitness, wellness, relationships, love, faith, etc. My hope is that you can relate, learn, & grow. Maybe you learn something new, maybe it inspires you to share your thoughts & ideas with others, at any rate..I hope it leaves with you a positive perspective & was worth your time! Thank you for reading my first blog!! I can't wait to share more with you! Check out the 'About' portion to learn more about me! |