Have you forgotten?

Blessings of the Lord

Heartache and sorrow

"...But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him."

2 Samuel 14

Though your heart breaks with sorrow and hurt, please know that God does not take away life; the world, (sickness and disease), does.  Our God is the giver of life, and when our loved one is taken away from us, we must hold tight to this:  God takes our loved ones out of this fallen world, brings them to himself, and gives them a life full of light, full of health, full of joy, peace, and gladness.  Yes, God takes our loved ones from us for right now, but one day we will be together with them in a heaven that gives true LIFE and true LOVE; a heaven that wipes away all of our tears and all of our sorrows.

Victories in the making

Why do we disobey God?

”... “I brought you out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give your forefathers... Yet you have disobeyed me.  Why have you done this?  Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.”

Judges 2:1-3

Why is it that when we get prayers answered we begin to take advantage of the Lord our God?  Why is it that once we get our prayers answered we put God aside and decide we want more?  Friends it is time to be content with one answered prayer at a time.  For until we do we will never be satisfied and we will live in a constant roller coaster - up and down, up and down.  So let’s enjoy each and every prayer that comes to pass and take advantage of not one of them.  As we learn to do this, I believe more and more of our prayer requests will come to pass and our lives will be one steady stream of peace, love, joy, life, and sunshine; full of all of God’s good glory.

God does the fighting so you don't have to

"Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you."

Deuteronomy 3:22

Since God does all the fighting for you, that means, God has all the victory.  Therefore, stop fighting with your flesh, (which only wastes your precious time), and, instead, hand your battles over to the Lord as he will fight and win the battle for you.  In doing this, not only will it save you a lot of unnecessary heartache and strength, it will give you peace and joy as you step up and simply take the victory he has already won for you.

Battles are for the Lord.

“... Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today... The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still”

Exodus 14:13-14

The fight is God’s; living is yours.  Therefore, let God fight your battles and you focus on living in peace, joy, love, health, and zeal.

Choose life.

If where you are right now is causing you to live in darkness and defeat, no matter how hard you try for it to be different, then maybe it is time to go.  

My friend, if you aren’t living in joy and peace then walk away.  

Choose life!  Choose love, joy, and peace!  Choose Christ !!

“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.“

Deuteronomy 30:19 NIV

Never satisfied

"Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.  This too is meaningless..."

Ecclesiastes 5:10

Is enough never enough for you?  If so, then your enough isn't what you should be focused on.  Your enough should be God, for when you focus on him your heart is content and joy overflows from within you.

So ask yourself, am I content and is my joy overflowing within?  If your answers are 'no' then it is time to refocus on the one and only Enough that is really enough - Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Not a fair trade, but...

“Cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:7

Give God all of your anxieties, worries, cares, fears, heartaches, and heartaches; in return, he will give you peace, joy, victory, love, grace… He’ll give you himself.

No, not much of a fair trade, but then that’s how much God absolutely loves and adores you my friend.

Finding purpose tip of the day: Persevere!!

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James 1:2-4 NIV

Verse copies from Bible.com

Keep moving forward towards your victories and purposes God has planned for your life. 

Let nothing and no one hold you back!

Persevere!!! 

Live to give!

Give constant encouragement, lifting spirits and charging others with fresh hope, saying: "No more crying, there is life in you yet.  Accordingly, finish what God started in you, always be on your toes, staying awake to the temptations of darkness (Satan).  Yes,  stay awake and keep up your guard, for as you know, Satan roams around like a lion seeking anyone he can slaughter, (the vulnerable, the tired, the sleeping, and the glutton).  So, listen to the voice of God and keep His Words in your heart so that he can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need. And, finally, always remember this: You're will be far happier giving than getting."  

~ Adapted from Acts 20

LIVE SO THAT GOD CAN SHINE TO THOSE LIVING IN DARKNESS!  

LIVE TO SHARE LIFE, LOVE, AND JOY.  

LIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOD'S WORD.  

LIVE TO HEAL AND BE HEALED.  

LIVE TO GIVE!

LIVE SO THAT YOU CAN TRULY LIVE!

TRUST AND KEEP TRUSTING GOD

“The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives. “  Romans 1:16-17 MSG

TRUST AND KEEP TRUSTING GOD

My friend, God’s Word never, ever, fails!! Trust in God and truly, truly, truly, live!! Trust in God and be fearless, full of love, full of joy, full of peace – hence, full of Jesus Christ himself.

Yes, trust in, and keep trusting in God and God alone; become enslaved by God and be freed from Satan: darkness, death, fear, burden, destruction, and death. 

OH, PRAISE GOD.  HE IS SO GOOD

Accept LIFE from God

"... But God does not take away life..."  

2 Samuel 14:13-14 MSG

Our lives are not falling apart because of God's choosing, they are falling apart because we, as humans, fall into weakness, especially since Satan knows exactly what our weaknesses are. So, if your life is falling apart, (hope and joy has completely left your soul), then Satan has secretly and schemingly got the best (worst) of you.  Therefore, right now is your choice to shoot the pain straight back at the killer, Satan, and turn and run to God; yes now is your time to make a choice: fight Satan with God as your weapon and live, or listen to Satan and ... (well, you know the alternative).  

My friend, choose to live - 

Run to GOD!

Thoughts run our lives

"Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life" Proverbs 4:23

Take a moment to carefully think about what, or who, has been running your life lately.  Is worry, fear, gratitude, love, anger, hatred, life, man, GOD...???   Is it time to restart, refresh, and re-think... it is time to dig back into God and His Word.  

Change starts in your thinking, therefore, first thing, everyday, open your eyes, thoughts, and prayers to God through the power of His Word and His spirit which dwells on the inside of you.  The moment you focus more on Him, the less you will focus on you, and the more your life will brighten, shine, and energize; the more your life will help impact those around you, and in turn, impacts those around them, spreading the glory of Jesus nice and brightly for all the world to share and see.

Where you are right now is God's place for you

... Where you are right now is God’s place for you.

...so don’t complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple—in marriage, grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things—your daily routines of shopping, and so on. Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out.”

1 Corinthians 7:17, 23-24, 29-31 MSG

https://imgc.allpostersimages.com/img/print/posters/brett-wilson-keep-life-simple_a-G-13417919-0.jpg

Frustration, stress, anxiety – all the forces of darkness – are from Satan, hence, the world.  However, peace, love, joy – all the forces of blessings and light - come from God.  

Take a moment to describe your life.  Does it fall more towards darkness or more towards the light; is it full of ease and peace, or full of frustration, anxiety, and the like? Is the description of your life what you want to live; is it what you are living for?  If not, now is a good time to redefine your life, yourself - now is a good time to make some changes.  

So whichever way you choose to live, make sure it is the way that works for you and the way in which you choose to live.  If you do choose (and I hope that you do) to live out your life for God, then ask him to help you – he will guide you to the paths in which your life should go. 

The Lord loves you so much.

God can

“… God had plunged them into a sea of joy; he had changed the mind of the king of Assyria to back them in rebuilding the Temple of God, the God of Israel.”  
Ezra 6:21-22, MSG

You may not be able to change someone’s mind, but God can!!

Smile

"...He puts a smile on my face.

    He’s my God."

Psalm 42:11

He's MY God - He's YOUR God!  

He is OUR God.  

Give yourself to him and let hope and joy fill your soul.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj4mpD7mfvQAhXFgVQKHUVeDHsQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F542683823829264874%2F&bvm=bv.142059868,d.cGw&psig=AFQjCNGQkf1-4Kp3OugRMJlalOTgAt81Lg&ust=1482063227293933

Those "little foxes

“Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyard, for our vineyards are in blossom.” Song of Solomon 2:15

Be on guard for the “little foxes” in your life, in your relationships.  ‘Little foxes’ are the annoyances, thoughts, attitudes, and characteristics in another that can (and should) be easily overlooked, forgiven, or covered, but you’ve chosen to pursue them, making them into “BIG foxes” (unnecessary evils).

Begin to ask yourself if pursuing an annoyance is really worth the words, the time, the hurt, or the heartache it may ensue. Then, make a habit of quickly forgiving, covering, or overlooking the trivial annoyances in life - LET THEM GO! Not only will it leave you with peace in your heart, it will help to increase your joy in your everyday life.

So, how about it, what issues have you been wasting time brewing on?  Are they worth it… really?

Ask BIG

“… but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that you joy (gladness, delight) may be full and complete.” John 16:24

I believe that this verse isn’t telling us to ask for one thing over and over, and then if it is granted us, we stop asking.  No, I believe this verse wants us to ask Him for all of our wants and dreams, all of the secret desires of our heart, no matter how many we have, no matter how impossible they may seem.  Some may not be granted quickly, but they will be granted in God’s time, and in God’s way -  not a moment too soon, not a moment too late.

So, believe BIG, and ask BIG.  God is a BIG God, and He grants BIG wishes.  He wants your love, devotion, and friendship.  As well, He wants you to be blessed.  Remember, God can, and will, do the impossible, but until you ask, you may never be able to experience it!