When U Pray

There are times in your life when you have to get real with God and yourself. You must decide what’s good and true for you. You have to decide if you truly believe God is able, if you really believe he will be with you. You have to decide to be committed to this relationship and all that it brings.

This is not the time in your life for you to need somebody to pray for you, for you to need somebody to believe for you. This is not the time to be chasing this pastor and this church and this prophet and that missionary.

It’s time for you to believe God for yourself. It’s time for you to accept that man is imperfectly perfect and people make mistakes. It’s time to believe in love and compassion, forgiveness and mercy. I am not asking you to give that to anyone else, YOU deserve those things!

In the meantime, pray for yourself, believe for yourself and trust yourself for God is with You, God can and will supply all your needs. God is alive and well within you. Do not be afraid to trust in the Lord. Do not be afraid to walk in your anointing.

“The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control.”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/2ti.1.7.ERV

“Lord, help me learn your ways. Show me how you want me to live. Guide me and teach me your truths. You are my God, my Savior. You are the one I have been waiting for. Remember to be kind to me, Lord. Show me the tender love that you have always had.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭25‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/psa.25.4-6.ERV

As women we often take on the role of caretaker, cook, primary housekeeper, launder, spiritual guide, money manager and sex goddess. We slip easily from one role to the next with little thought of how this affects us mentally and spiritually. Because of the many roles we engage in from to day to day we are often mentally drained and physically tired by the end of the day. I know there are men who do this as well and today I want to encourage all of us to give up.
Yup, I said it, give it up.
No person should have to be everything for everybody, it’s too much. It’s time for us to realize it’s also unnecessary; our God already has the role of being omnipresent, so we don’t have to be.
I challenge you today to rest in the spirit of the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to do its perfect work.

““Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest. Yes, the teaching that I ask you to accept is easy. The load I give you to carry is light.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/mat.11.29.ERV

The Lord wants us to take time from our many roles and just be with him. Pray and meditate and allow him to lead and guide us, even with the small things. What concerns us, concerns him.

“I love the Lord for hearing me, for listening to my prayers. Yes, he paid attention to me, so I will always call to him whenever I need help. My soul, relax! The Lord is caring for you.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭116‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭7‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/psa.116.7.ERV

“The Lord takes care of helpless people. I was without help, and he saved me. My soul, relax! The Lord is caring for you.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭116‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/psa.116.7.ERV

“You can go to God Most High to hide. You can go to God All-Powerful for protection. I say to the Lord, “You are my place of safety, my fortress. My God, I trust in you.””
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭91‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/psa.91.1-2.ERV

When something is pressing on you to pray for someone, stop everything and do it. You don’t have to call the person or make a big deal about it but God is asking you to believe with him for someone and what you sow is what you reap. It is written that when two people can agree on anything, God is with you so if you pray in Jesus name that’s two and God comes on into the situation. Trust me on this, that is not a random thought or some thing .. that is God giving you instructions.

““I can assure you that when you speak judgment here on earth, it will be God’s judgment. And when you promise forgiveness here on earth, it will be God’s forgiveness. To say it another way, if two of you on earth agree on anything you pray for, my Father in heaven will do what you ask.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/mat.18.19.ERV

Pour out blessings from your mouth and heart for your fellow man. Be generous and sincere in your prayers and see how God will turn things around for you.

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
‭‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/jas.5.16.NKJV

I was led to pray more intensely this morning for someone and before the day ended God allowed me to see why. I can assure you that the prayers of the righteous are heard.

“You can be sure that anyone who serves the Lord faithfully is special to him. The Lord listens when I pray to him.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭4‬:‭3‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/psa.4.3.ERV

This morning as I was driving west I saw the biggest, brightest moon 🌚 and as I looked in the rear view mirror I saw a sunrise that was full of yellows and oranges as it slowly entered the plane of human viewing. The contrasts between the two were enlightening. I was reminded of this scripture:
“The Lord led the way. During the day, he used a tall cloud to lead the people. And during the night, he used a tall column of fire to lead the way. This fire gave them light so that they could also travel at night.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭13‬:‭21‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/exo.13.21.ERV

Here is what I was thinking
In my travels for work I am often up very early and depending on where I am going the sun is rising before me or behind me but the moon is also setting. It’s a reminder that God is ever present, that he is omnipotent and he is both present and available to us no matter where we might go, no matter what direction we are going, he is there.
Sometimes life gets you turned around and it seems as if you are lost in the world. It seems like everything you do is the wrong thing. Every decision has the worst outcome, but we know that cannot be true. The outcomes may not be what you planned but remember who God is, you have to remember that all things work together for your good, you have to remember that no matter how dark it looks, the sun will rise at it’s appointed time. Nothing bad lasts forever so just hold on.
Even when your faith is low, remember it only takes the tiniest speck to keep the flames of faith burning. Remember that God is always with you, even to the ends of the earth.
“I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me. I will let you find me.” This message is from the Lord. “And I will bring you back from your captivity. I forced you to leave this place. But I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have sent you,” says the Lord, “and I will bring you back to this place.””
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬-‭14‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/jer.29.11-14.ERV

Keep your eyes on the prize, no matter what direction you travel, the Lord is with you.

“Two people are better than one. When two people work together, they get more work done. If one person falls, the other person can reach out to help. But those who are alone when they fall have no one to help them. If two people sleep together, they will be warm. But a person sleeping alone will not be warm. An enemy might be able to defeat one person, but two people can stand back-to-back to defend each other. And three people are even stronger. They are like a rope that has three parts wrapped together—it is very hard to break.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬-‭12‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/ecc.4.9-12.ERV

This weekend my husband and I stepped away our from weekly tasks to celebrate our wedding anniversary, it’s been amazing just spending intentional time together. Married people should continually seek ways to be together and share some private time to strengthen the relationship. When you stop taking time or going the extra mile the relationship could begin to deteriorate or weaken with one partner or both feeling unloved, unwanted or unprotected. Never stop taking the time to share your life with your partner because nothing is lonelier than being in a relationship by yourself.
This is a blog about God so, if you take those same words and exchange a spouse for the Lord, there is no difference.
If you stop spending intentional time with the Lord you will find yourself adrift. You will be weakened and feel unsafe, unloved and unprotected. The Lord desires a relationship with us and to keep it strong, we have to love him and trust him.
I know that life can be hard, work, kids, marriages, miscellaneous relationships, friendships and mishaps keeps us busy and it’s easy to fall on the saying, “God knows my heart” as an excuse to stop going to church, stop praying, stop reading, and yes, he does know your heart. He watches us place importance on everything but HIM and it breaks his heart.
Choose today to switch your focus and see the difference it will make in your life.
“My children, our love should not be only words and talk. No, our love must be real. We must show our love by the things we do. That’s how we know we belong to the way of truth. And when our hearts make us feel guilty, we can still have peace before God, because God is greater than our hearts. He knows everything.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/1jn.3.18-20.ERV

To my readers I apologize for not posting recently.

I can honestly say I’ve been distracted and have not written anything. Well I’ve written a few posts but they never came together for me in a way that make sense. I won’t post it if I don’t feel it,

But even in my mental desert the Lord is working and maybe that’s the message today. Even when you cannot see God at work you can see the manifestations of his work. Maybe the message is sometimes it’s ok to be quiet and listening for the stillness of God, allowing his peace to permeate in your spirit.

I’ll leave you with this,

“I say to the Lord, “You are my place of safety, my fortress. My God, I trust in you.””
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭91‬:‭2‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/psa.91.2.ERV

“And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/php.4.7.ERV

“At about the same time, the disciples came to Jesus asking, “Who gets the highest rank in God’s kingdom?” For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, “I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom. What’s more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it’s the same as receiving me. “But if you give them a hard time, bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, you’ll soon wish you hadn’t. You’d be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck. Doom to the world for giving these God-believing children a hard time! Hard times are inevitable, but you don’t have to make it worse—and it’s doomsday to you if you do.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭MSG‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/97/mat.18.2-7.MSG

This scripture captured me this morning, someone really asked Jesus “who gets the highest ranking in heaven?” Do people really think like that? Could you walk with Jesus day in and day out and believe that anyone would be ranked in heaven? This concept caused me to stop and think how easy it is to get caught up in religion. The disciples saw miracles and wonders first hand and still got caught up, so we have to be extra careful to stay focused on the love of Christ when doing the work. We have to be careful with God’s people because we are accountable for our actions.

I have to keep this very simple in my head, when I am faced with struggles, problems, concerns and issues I ask myself one question; “Do I trust God” ? Then I remind myself that ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR MY GOOD, yes, even this. If I believe one thing in the Bible I have to believe it all. Then I ask myself IF GOD IS FOR ME, WHO CAN STAND AGAINST ME?, I keep talking to myself and I say self, IF I TRUST THAT GOD HEARS ME WHEN I PRAY, I KNOW THIS SITUATION IS ALREADY WIRKED OUT, because with God, nothing is impossible.

I made this sound easy didn’t I? It’s not! It’s a daily struggle to remain confident in the Lord. It’s a daily challenge to lift up my head and let my heart be my guide. God called us to love his people, all of them, even the ones that don’t mean right. I truly believe if we set the law down, assume Jesus really died for our sin, assume the law is fulfilled and rely on Love, we could make a difference.
Jesus asked us to love, he asked us to forgive, he asked us to tell the world about him. Let’s be like a child who learned a new story, tell everybody about the love of Christ and be so excited about it that your whole body shines from within and you have a glow. Little kids get so excited, be like them. Tell everybody how good God is and keep it simple, you don’t have to know every scripture, you only have to remember to love.
“If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love. Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭3‬-‭7‬ ‭MSG‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/97/1co.13.3-7.MSG

I don’t know about y’all but I love popcorn. I love it plain, with lots of butter, seasoned and hot. I just love the texture and for some reason I can’t eat it without joy. As soon as I smell it cooking I start smiling. It doesn’t matter how I feel when I start eating it, I’m full of joy before I’m done. Last week I was down in the dumps, I had been sick and it didn’t seem as if I was getting better or stronger and I was frustrated. My husband decided to make popcorn 🍿 in our machine, I got so excited, I ate that popcorn and it’s like my soul smiled.
True thing about popcorn that started this thought process is that I can’t eat it in its original form. It starts as a seed that has to go through a process to be used properly. You put it in some oil and add heat and when the heat is at its hottest the hull of the seed releases the popcorn.

Does that seem like your life, does it seem like circumstances in your life keeps adding oil and heat and now you feel like the fire is at its hottest point and you are not sure that you can go on. I challenge you to remember how transformation works. I want you to remember that God is working, even in the small things.
As the situations in your life heat up know this, you will be transformed. If all things work together for good for those who love the Lord, even this situation is included. The heat you feel in your life situation’s cannot burn you , but they will make you uncomfortable. Know this, if you allow God to lead you, if you decide to trust him and let him order your steps, you too will be transformed into something that brings great joy, like 🍿 popcorn. You will lose your rough outer shell and become new and wonderful.
I’m not sure why my brain made the connection between the transformation of popcorn and the transformation of faith but both have brought me GREAT JOY!
hang in there, keep the faith and stand strong in whatever situation you find yourself.. One thing for certain, one thing for sure OUR GOD, is able to keep you from falling.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/114/rom.12.2.NKJV

It’s impossible to give what you don’t have. Sounds like a simple and easily understood concept yet we will try and give what we don’t have to people who don’t need as much as we are willing to give.
I often find myself giving of myself to the point of exhaustion. I don’t mean physical exhaustion well I don’t mean just physical exhaustion, but mental and spiritual exhaustion. I find myself running trying to keep up with my husband, my child, work and friends and forget that I can’t pour from an empty cup. I want to make sure everything and everyone in my family is ok so I keep going, trusting , believing and praying even when mentally I am strained.
The Holy Spirit is so amazing, even when I get tired and don’t know what to do the Holy Spirit shows up, because when I am empty I get frustrated and then I forget what to pray or how to pray.
“Also, the Spirit helps us. We are very weak, but the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We don’t know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself speaks to God for us. He begs God for us, speaking to him with feelings too deep for words. God already knows our deepest thoughts. And he understands what the Spirit is saying, because the Spirit speaks for his people in the way that agrees with what God wants.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/rom.8.26-27.ERV

But I’ll tell you this, don’t stop praying and filling your cup because you can’t fill an empty cup if you have nothing in your own. Keep trusting God, Keep praying and reading the word. The word is the truth that binds us as Christian’s. The word is the fruit of Gods love and nourishes our minds and spirits. The word of God allows us to grow and learn and be mentally and spiritually healthy. God is our ever present help in times of trouble and his word is our guide in this life.
“God is our protection and source of strength. He is always ready to help us in times of trouble.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭1‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/psa.46.1.ERV

Time brings about a change. As I lotioned my arm I looked for a scar that I knew was there; It is old and familiar. Time has faded the scar to almost invisible but the events that surrounded the scar is as real and raw as the day I received it.

February 11, 1985 I was working the drive thru at McDonald’s, 7 months pregnant in a blizzard, half the staff did not report that day . I burned my arm on the grill and continued to work. Later in the same day I went into premature labor and had a child born 1lb 13 oz who lived 8 terrific, wonderful, painful, horrendous months. She was my bright star and my largest heartache beautiful but too small for this world.

I digress, I was actually thinking about how time heals all wounds, how time brings about a change, how time flies, how time is immeasurable but relevant. Time is a many splendid things and at the end of the day, there is never enough of it.

As I looked at the scar I realized the truth of the saying time heals all wounds. There was time when the scar was very prominent and almost an eye sore due to its location on my arm. I don’t remember how long it took it to heal or how big it was originally but I have always known the scar was there. I don’t look for it every day but there are times when I look at it, rub it a little and reminisce. Today I was adding lotion and I realized it is barely there. I thought how awful it would be if it left altogether, would I then begin to forget the events it represents. Naaah the scar is just that, a scar, not the thing. It’s ok for the scar to heal and fade away because it’s time is up.

In my mind God allows us to have scars so we can review the healing process. In the beginning all you can think of is the tragedy to your body, it is the most important thing in your mind. Over time the scar begins to heal, it itches, it burns and it scabs over. This is where I shout, as the scab forms on top of the injury the real work begins, the healing happens from the inside out. The scab remains until the healing is complete and when the scab is left alone it will fall off and all that’s left is the scar. Time does it’s perfect work and the scar fades that too.

So don’t get caught up in the things in your life that hurt you, that leaves a scar. Trust the Lord and trust the process, God will stand up for you when the pain is at its worse, he we will allow a scab to form over your pain and tragedy and begin to heal you from the inside out. Over time the scab will fall away and all that’s left will be a scar. Have no fear, God will remove that too, when it’s time.

“There is a right time for everything, and everything on earth will happen at the right time.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/ecc.3.1.ERV

If you think your mistakes, your past, your life style or the choices you make will stop God from loving you, then this post is for YOU!

We know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love. God is love. Everyone who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in them. If God’s love is made perfect in us, we can be without fear on the day when God judges the world. We will be without fear, because in this world we are like Jesus.1 John 4:16-17 ERVhttp://bible.com/406/1jn.4.16-17.ERV

Once you accept God and enter into a relationship with Jesus, your past is forgiven, your sins are forgotten and you are restored, made whole. It can be a hard concept to grasp, you’re questioning the concept, all I have to do is accept Jesus and I’m restored? YES! It really is that simple. It won’t be easy accepting it because the world tells us negative things about ourselves and we take those things that have been said or done to us as our new reality. The real answer is:

When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with him. I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people.2 Corinthians 5:17-19 ERVhttp://bible.com/406/2co.5.17-19.ERV

There is not one person alive who has not messed up, who is perfect or Holy. We have all fallen short of what God expects from us, thank God for Jesus. Once you accept Jesus you will have some work to do. Your redemption is free but not without cost. It will cost you some friendships because some of your friends won’t be happy that you gave up your old life. It will cost you some relationships, any relationship built on sin will eventually fade away. It will cost you some time, studying his word so that you get instructions on how to live this new life. It will cost you your freedom, you will no longer be free to act without consequences. But have no fear, what you gain will be worth so much more.

God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Don’t be angry with each other, but forgive each other. If you feel someone has wronged you, forgive them. Forgive others because the Lord forgave you.Colossians 3:12-13 ERVhttp://bible.com/406/col.3.12-13.ERV
Accept it, embrace it and live free

“I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be good to you and give you peace.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/gal.1.3.ERV

As we enter 2023 I thought about something that would serve all of us that would not run out. Something that costs us nothing but gives us everything.

PEACE defined: freedom from disturbance; tranquility:
a state or period in which there is no war or a war has ended:

Peace is what I pray we will all enjoy in 2023. Peace is something that you can have in spite of what you are going through.

We know that the turning of the year does not exempt us from pain, grief, disappointments or disagreements. Starting a new year does not automatically erase debt, improve our credit score or add money to our paychecks. In other words, life is still going to go on as it always has, what will be different in 2023 is our response. We will continue to trust in the Lord, we will stand on HIS word and count it all joy. We will look to the hills from which comes our help and we will rest in the knowledge that our God is able.

I know some of this sounds like whaaaa whaaa whaaa but if you would only believe with me, you will see it is possible to walk through whatever you are facing with the peace of God. It’s about deciding to be sold out, not having a plan B, not being willing to settle for anything less that what God promised. We have to be willing to just say YES! Yes to his will and his way, Yes to his plan for our lives and then we will get to see him at work in our lives. He is not a genie, it won’t be a big poof (well unless you need that) but what you will find is it gets easier to trust him once you start. You will see his hand at work and smile. You will see that people can’t push your buttons the same anymore and you will find clarity instead of confusion. I can go on and on but I think you get it.

2023 will bring whatever it brings and we are going to Trust God in new ways and the old ways. We are going to pray, trust and believe. Anything else would be uncivilized.

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/php.4.6-7.ERV

I have been writing this story in my head since last night, it was screaming to get to the pages. I want to encourage you about Christmas and tell you that even at the birth of Christ the enemy will try you. So I’ll paraphrase and take a few liberties with the scripture but I promise you it’s in the Bible.

Jesus’s birth was foretold and one thing that I know is true is that even the demons in hell trusted that it was true. Many didn’t put much trust in the word but evil always knows. Enter King Herod.. he knew in his heart that the king of the Jews would come and when he saw the Star in the east he called three kings to him and told them to go find this child and let him know where he was so he could worship him. The three kings found Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem they brought him gifts and blessings.
Enter God.. he told the three kings not to return to King Herod.

Return to King Herod, when the three Kings did not return he refused to be defeated, proof that the enemy never quits. He sent soldiers to kill all the boy children 2 years and younger because his intent was to kill the promise.. I just shouted in my spirit because the enemy will always try to kill your promise.. BUT GOD!
Enter God, he sent an Angel to lead Joseph and Mary away from Bethlehem because God made the promise and He will always protect the promise you listen to him.

I’m going to sum this Christmas Story up, if God promises you something (the birth of Salvation) you can count on it, even the enemy knows you can trust it. If God promises you something he will protect it (you) and the enemy will always try to come against it.. trust that! But here is the goods news, we know the end of the story..
Jesus won.. he was Born , died, and was resurrected! He took all power in his hands and the enemy has no power that we don’t give him over anything, not your mind, your heart, your circumstances or how you deal with things you are faced with.

December 25th may not be the exact day Jesus was born, however, it is the day people in Christianity ✝️ has adopted as the day we celebrate his birth. There may be many conflicting dates but that’s not what this story is about.

I am here to say that even at the birth of Christ the enemy tried it, so you can rest assured that when you try something good, the enemy will try and attack it. That is just a truth built into the fabric of the way the world works. Trust that evil will be present but also trust in God, he will always give you a way to succeed.

““I have told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have troubles. But be brave! I have defeated the world!””
‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/jhn.16.33.ERV

“After the wise men left, an angel from the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, “Get up! Take the child with his mother and escape to Egypt. Herod wants to kill the child and will soon start looking for him. Stay in Egypt until I tell you to come back.” Herod saw that the wise men had fooled him, and he was very angry. So he gave an order to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem and the whole area around Bethlehem. Herod had learned from the wise men the time the baby was born. It was now two years from that time. So he said to kill all the boys who were two years old and younger. This gave full meaning to what God said through the prophet Jeremiah:”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬, ‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/mat.2.13-17.ERV

“Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭7‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/1co.13.7.ERV

As people who love God and who are called according to his purpose we have to exude the fruits of the spirit. You should never have to announce to the room…”I’m a Christian”. If your life does not line up with Christian values are you a Christian or someone who goes to church? This is a no judgement zone I’m asking for real. When I look at the type of fruit the spirit produces in us it is not envy, anger and unforgiveness.
“But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/gal.5.22-23.ERV

So don’t tell me you are a Christian, let your words, actions and deeds show me. There is a saying that “I can’t hear what you said because I am distracted by what you are doing”. This saying resonates with me because growing up I watched adults say one thing and do another. This duplicity cause anger and confusion in me that halted my ability to trust God. I kept giving God the characteristics of the people who claimed to represent him and they kept coming up short so I thought God did too. Don’t be the kind of Christian that leads people away from God, there is enough people assigned to that task. All God asked us to do was love his children. Yes, he said there will be judgement but I have not found one verse where he tells us to do it. Over and over he asks, commands and begs us to love each other.

I said all that to say this.. if someone hurt you, and they will, forgive them. Offer them love and grace so that they can be free from condemnation but also wrapped in love. As Christian’s reconciliation should always be your greatest gift to mankind. Forgive easily, show grace where you can and never give up in people. I know the world encourages you to match energy with people, but if you must match someone’s energy match the energy of Jesus..

Think about this, when you were a kid and you fell, your mom didn’t kick you while you were down, she picked you up, fixed your hurt and pain and reminded you how good and strong you were. After helping you up she sent you back out to play. Your mother knows that love and mercy are the best at healing any boo boo.

I will accept any apology given with a pure heart and filled with love. All of us have said things we did not mean or maybe we meant to say those words but we were unaware of its effect on the other person. As humans we mess up , but as long as we have breath in our bodies we can apologize. I would pray that you would take time today to apologize for any hurt or harm you have caused a friend or family member. I hope you would take time today to look into your heart and soul and make things right where you can.
I ask that you would apologize with a sincere heart and take responsibility for your actions while giving grace to the other person. One thing I know to be true is that which comes from the heart , reaches the heart.

But I also know it is written:
“Give to others, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands—more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭38‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/luk.6.38.ERV

He also said this:
““Don’t judge others, and God will not judge you. Don’t condemn others, and you will not be condemned. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭37‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/luk.6.37.ERV

I said all of that to say this.. forgive others when you are asked and ask for forgiveness when it is due. We don’t have nearly as much time on this earth as we believe.

“Never brag about what you will do in the future; you have no idea what tomorrow will bring.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭1‬ ‭ERV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/406/pro.27.1.ERV

Live free my friends, remember you can’t be free if you are shackled with unforgiveness.

Take The Shackles Off My Feet So I Can Dance
I Just Wanna Praise You
I Just Wanna Praise You
You Broke The Chains, Now I Can Lift My Hands
And I’m Gonna Praise You
I’m Gonna Praise You

I love you, yes I do