But today I challenge us to reflect on Mary. We understand she is not to be worshipped or even “put on a pedestal” as an object of attainment, as if to say, “ I wander if I am highly favored and blessed among women”. We would err to exalt her even to that degree in our minds. However, every person ever created in His image, which is all mankind, can be used as ensamples to each of us weather good or bad.
Read MoreHowever, there are some responsibilities that come with this job. Not to burst your bubble, but a real princess here on earth does not get to lounge around and be pampered all day (though that would be really nice!). Nope, an earthly princess has appointments, school, planned-out schedules, friends that must go through background checks; and above all, they have a reputation to keep. This is a reputation that needs to be protected and clean just like we all have.
Read MoreWomen in the Bible can offer us deep meaning and teach us! These women can teach us so much about-facing brokenness and hopelessness with courage even TODAY! They probably do not show up in VBS songs, or many Sunday School lessons. These women even today can teach us to live courageously, through difficult or even dangerous situations!
Read MoreWith a name like Joy, living up to my name has been a life-long challenge. People often ask
how I manage to maintain a positive attitude, and keep a smile on my face. I can assure you, it
can sometimes be quite difficult. It is rather easy to find joy when all is right with the world, and
everything in life is going according to our plan. However, the true challenge is, how can we
hold on to that Joy while navigating through life’s heartaches and stormy waters?
Read MorePatience…. My least favorite word of all time. So many “well meaning” people have tried to be an “encouragement” to me over the years by saying things like, “God will bring you just the right man, you just have to be patient” or “God will show you what He wants for your future, you just have to be patient”.
Read MoreThis year the town that I live in started a gleaning program. People could sign up to go and pick the leftover fruit and produce that was still left on the plants in the farmers’ fields. The free program allowed you to pick as much as you wanted and share with family and friends, but you were not allowed to sell what you picked. I had never heard of this kind of program before and I was a little skeptical at first, but when I went with some of my kids and a lady from our church, I was blown away by the bounty we could pick! While speaking to the farmer, he explained that the harvest was so large this year that he did not have the laborers to keep up with it. He decided to donate the rest so the harvest would not go to waste. As he walked away to answer someone else’s questions, I could only stare out at the field. There were 20 gleaners and three strawberry fields; we did not even put a dent into the harvest.
Read MoreHis name is Joseph. I first saw him walking through our quaint downtown square with a bundle of blankets tucked under his arm . He was obviously malnourished. His hair and beard were unkempt and his skin bore the marks of weathering both the physical and spiritual storms of life. In my mind’s eye I immediately saw him as someone’s son, someone’s brother, perhaps, someone’s husband or father. My heart hurt for him. It was a short and simple prayer that I prayed that day, “Lord, show me how I could help someone like that.” The light turned green and I drove on.
Read MoreHave you ever noticed that sometimes we get so consumed with our own wants and needs? This leads to praying endlessly all day because we want an answer immediately, and then we start to get upset, mad, and bitter when we don’t get a response. It feels like our prayers are hitting the ceiling and bouncing back to us. What happens next is that you’ve become so frustrated about what you are praying for that you begin arguing with the Lord. You want to wrestle with Him so that you can win. Is it wrong to be passionate about your prayer life? No, but there are often times when you try to force your way and even manipulate your answer, and then you live in misery and regret because you had to have what you wanted.
Read MoreI know that this is a familiar verse. But if you really look at this verse you will see that God's being near to us requires and action on our part. We have to first draw nigh to God. This can be done in several ways: Prayer, reading God's Word, being faithful to church, just to name a few. It is easy to let the "stuff of life" get in the way of our walk with the Lord and the devil actually prefers it that way. In this story I am about to share with you is my personal experience of the Lord working and convicting me of my walk with Him.
Read MoreHave you ever really pondered what a true biblical friendship is? Having the right…or wrong kind of friends will make such an impact on your life, either for good or bad. How many times have we told others to be wise and careful in choosing the right friends, realizing the impact it will have on them, but ignore this wisdom for ourselves.
Read MoreThe older I get the more I realize I need His Words in my life. As a teenager, a young Bible college student, and even a young married wife and mom, I read my Bible every day; but I did it more out of “this is what I am supposed to do” rather than “this is what I need.” Oh! There were days when I would run to Him and His Word out of necessity, but more often than not it was what I did out of habit. As our family began to grow and my responsibilities in church grew, I began to go to His Word more out of need, but still I did things in my own strength unfortunately. I knew I needed God in my head, but it had not fully reached my heart.
Read MoreWhen I was younger, I loved the idea of meeting my “prince charming” and falling in LOVE, just like all of the Disney princesses did. I wanted to be somebody’s special ONE, and for them to be mine. Since I have been saved, I would say that I LOVE JESUS. But when I was younger, I would not say that I saw Him as the one to fulfill the longing of my heart. He was more distant / unseen / more like a character in a story.
Read MoreYou see, I remember the times I prayed. When I was a teenager, I prayed for a husband. I asked God over and over to give me a husband. You see my dad pastored in a pretty bad part of Memphis, Tn and let’s just say there was no one around to marry. I even told my mom God won’t send anyone here for me to marry. You see, I did doubt that God could do it…maybe I didn’t doubt God could as much as I doubted that God would do it for me. I was discouraged, would God ever send me my future husband?
Read MoreNo! my year has not stopped. Although at times, I wish it had. Neither has then been a year where I have just stopped serving the Lord. But this has been a year where I have tried to stop and in every major situation take the time to pause.
Read MoreOh how often I feel IT'S NOT IN ME ---but God shall give an answer of peace! Life can be so pressing at times and I don't have an answer. I'm thankful that I can run to Jesus. Psalm 86:7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: FOR THOU WILT ANSWER ME.
Read MoreAgain, living for the Lord has many mountains and valleys. It’s not an easy road,
but don’t give up, or you will miss the best of the best!
Read MoreIn the hustle and bustle of life today, it's easy to get caught up in whirlwinds of tasks and responsibilities that constantly demand attention. We find ourselves running from one thing to another, sometimes barely taking a moment to transition properly. However, amidst the chaos and busyness that can easily overtake our lives, there is a timeless truth that our Lord Jesus shared with us, speaking directly from His loving heart: "Come apart and rest a little while."
Read MoreI was born into a Christian home and went to church every Sunday. I remember one Sunday morning sitting in church listening to the message and when it was time for the invitation I knew that I needed to accept Jesus as my Saviour. I went home and that afternoon my dad sat with me on the couch and clearly explained the Gospel to me and I accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour when I was 4 years old. I was baptized the next year.
There was an old saying about trusting all one’s goods to one ship. It was replaced with the phrase “Don't put all your eggs in one basket,” which is a proverb or idiom first recorded in 1710, that means you should not risk everything or depend entirely on a single thing or course of action. It advises against investing all your resources, time, or efforts in a single venture, as it leaves you vulnerable to failure or loss. If you gather all your eggs in a single basket, there is a potential danger of dropping the basket and losing everything you have worked diligently to obtain. In contrast, the proverb advises considering different options and distributing your eggs across multiple baskets, so you don’t find yourself in a desperate situation if one of your endeavors fails.
Read MoreMost of our lives are spent going the same speed and the same direction. Once in a while we change lanes or even merge onto a new highway, but then we resume where we were.
1 Corinthians 2:4 reminds us that “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” Faithful, not just in those exciting moments, but in the Days in Between.
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