I’ve always been a worrier. It’s just part of my genetic makeup to think about every “what if scenario” and how to avoid any potential obstacles that could be thrown in my path. As if my worrying and planning would place a barrier of protection around myself and my family. This thoughtful approach to life would surely be rewarded with calm waters and smooth sailing, right? Not!
Jeremiah 17:5
"This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future... But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”
I have spent a lifetime of loving God and worshiping Him, but have been missing the point all along. My worrying means that I have been relying on my own strength and in doing so, I am not fully trusting in His plan to completely take care of all my needs. How can I expect his blessings when I am constantly pushing Him out of the driver’s seat? Every time I take back that control, I am saying that my God is not big enough to handle it all. Am I that arrogant to think that through my worry and planning, I will come up with a better way?
Isaiah 40:22
“God sits above the circle of the earth. The people below seem like grasshoppers to him!... ‘To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal’? asks the Holy One. ‘Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars?’ He brings them out like an army, on after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.”
I’ve always heard that worrying is a sin, but I never truly understood how my worrying is truly offensive to God. No one compares to Him and no one is equal to Him. He is my all powerful, supernatural protector and there’s nothing he can’t provide! He’s got a plan in mind and while I may not see it all mapped out; my faith needs to trust that He can get me to the right destination.
...a place for ladies to connect and be encouraged.
Guest Devotional - Chrissy Mayer
What are some of your favorite beauty regimens?
Painting your nails?
Getting perfectly shaped eyebrows?
Coloring your hair?
Getting a good tan?
Ever known anyone who just seemed to glow a little more than others when they walk into a room?
Were you dying to know her secret?
I know a girl like this. Everytime I see her, she just seems to lighten the room. Always wearing a big smile. Even when she isn't beaming ear to ear, her face still reads content and grateful. She is one of the few people I have spoken to and felt as if she was truly hanging on to every word I said. She can find the positive in any situation and does it without you wanting to 'trip a sister' to bring her back down to reality. She is genuine, but most importantly she understands the power of a good foundation! Every morning she chooses to put on a face of gratitude. No matter how big or small, girlfriend chooses to STOP and RELISH in EACH of God's blessings throughout each day. Like a child on Christmas Day, she too approaches the day with such an eagerness and grateful heart.
In her most recent book, "Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy", Nancy Leigh DeMoss says,
"I would go so far as to say that there is nothing more becoming in a child of God than a grateful spirit. By the same token, there is probably nothing that makes a person more unattractive than the absence of a grateful spirit."
Gratitude. The most beautiful thing a woman can choose to include in her beauty regimen. This is how I want others to see me. But … how? How does a woman like you or me get a grateful heart change? It's not like we can just buy a thankful spirit in the cosmetic aisle at Wal-Mart. This is going to require a bit more work than your average one-time makeup application.
How do we maintain a grateful heart when faced with the challenging situations and challenging people that some of us are forced to deal with on a daily basis?
WE MUST DEVELOP A GRATEFUL REFLEX: ‘give thanks in all things' ... Therefore, if we can't be grateful for where He has us today we will not be able to be grateful for where He leads tomorrow.
DeMoss also says, "The grateful heart that springs forth in joy is not acquired in a moment; it is the fruit of a thousand choices. It is a Godly habit and pattern that over time becomes a new muscle in our spiritual makeup." She continues, "The only people who can sustain a consistent flow of thanksgiving between them and God are those who know who, what, and where they'd be if He hadn't intervened and saved them from themselves."
How long has it been since you thought about who, what, and where you'd be if Jesus hadn't pursued you, loved you, chosen you, forgiven you, and given you His Spirit?
Maybe you don't have what you want today. Or you have what you don't want. Either way, are you whining or worshiping? What beauty regimen are you practicing today?
Guest Devotional - Claudia Lisotta
Sometimes I feel lost.
I used to feel like there was no place I could go to escape from my problems. Most of the time I tried to find answers to my own questions but it seemed like there were no answers to relieve my mind and make the worry go away!
Oh well, that was the way I used to deal with my problems.
Now I know that no matter what comes my way and no matter the problem, God will be there to help and guide me through it all! Don’t get me wrong-- I have a lot on my plate right now! From dealing with immigration situations, to making decisions about my career and my husband Tony’s career down to everyday frustrations. But in the middle of all I find that I have peace of mind, strength and faith. I couldn’t be any more blessed to have the life I have-- my husband, my friends, my dogs, a job, and the most important one…. God, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Our problems may seem overwhelming, but God’s power is stronger than any obstacle we may face!
“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” - Jeremiah 32:27
I used to feel like there was no place I could go to escape from my problems. Most of the time I tried to find answers to my own questions but it seemed like there were no answers to relieve my mind and make the worry go away!
Oh well, that was the way I used to deal with my problems.
Now I know that no matter what comes my way and no matter the problem, God will be there to help and guide me through it all! Don’t get me wrong-- I have a lot on my plate right now! From dealing with immigration situations, to making decisions about my career and my husband Tony’s career down to everyday frustrations. But in the middle of all I find that I have peace of mind, strength and faith. I couldn’t be any more blessed to have the life I have-- my husband, my friends, my dogs, a job, and the most important one…. God, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Our problems may seem overwhelming, but God’s power is stronger than any obstacle we may face!
“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” - Jeremiah 32:27
Guest Devotional - Jen Allinder
Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
Once married, I dreamed we would continue to live in our house in Atlanta. Our kids would grow up in that area, we would attend Auburn football games each weekend like I used to as a kid, etc. Alas, God had a completely different path for our family. Jeff had a new opportunity within his company, but it required us to move to northern VA. This was in the middle of the big housing boom, to one of the highest cost of living locations in the US, 13 hours away from family/friends, and all while I was pregnant. Let’s just say that emotions ran high during those few weeks when we were going down this path. Being the control freak I am, I searched for stores, churches, and homes to ensure my comfort zone was in VA.
This time of leaning on my own understanding just made me crazy with worry, and oh the tears shed! One night, I finally prayed to God and put my complete trust in Him with this situation. I asked Him to remove obstacles in our way if this is where He wanted us to go. Amazingly, we quickly found a buyer for our house in GA, found a house in VA (decorated awful) that we got for under asking price (unheard of during the time of bidding wars), my company let me work from home, and those were just the big things.
What have you trusted God with lately? Where are you leaning on the world’s understanding or your own versus leaning on God?
Ephesians 3:20-21 says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
He is able to do anything! He not only has the power, He IS the power. Why not trust Him with something today and see what He does? You might just be surprised.
Once married, I dreamed we would continue to live in our house in Atlanta. Our kids would grow up in that area, we would attend Auburn football games each weekend like I used to as a kid, etc. Alas, God had a completely different path for our family. Jeff had a new opportunity within his company, but it required us to move to northern VA. This was in the middle of the big housing boom, to one of the highest cost of living locations in the US, 13 hours away from family/friends, and all while I was pregnant. Let’s just say that emotions ran high during those few weeks when we were going down this path. Being the control freak I am, I searched for stores, churches, and homes to ensure my comfort zone was in VA.
This time of leaning on my own understanding just made me crazy with worry, and oh the tears shed! One night, I finally prayed to God and put my complete trust in Him with this situation. I asked Him to remove obstacles in our way if this is where He wanted us to go. Amazingly, we quickly found a buyer for our house in GA, found a house in VA (decorated awful) that we got for under asking price (unheard of during the time of bidding wars), my company let me work from home, and those were just the big things.
What have you trusted God with lately? Where are you leaning on the world’s understanding or your own versus leaning on God?
Ephesians 3:20-21 says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
He is able to do anything! He not only has the power, He IS the power. Why not trust Him with something today and see what He does? You might just be surprised.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)