Victory Dancing

The new year is almost here and with it come lots of new opportunities! If you are like me and most folks, this time of year brings with it lots of thoughts about things that you would like to see happen and/or change with the new year to make it the best year possible.  Oh there is so much to ponder! As we reflect on it all, I want to encourage us to see ourselves as Jesus sees us through our faith in Him and that is through His eyes of unfailing love, forgiveness and with no condemnation.  He also has 2014 plans to work with each of us to do great things!  He desires us to victory dance all the way through it together with Him! When we wake up in the morning, we will have started the new year. Good stuff!  Be alert, though, as we have an enemy at work and he is one who is always seeking ways to thwart our Father’s good plans for us and he is always seeking to bring accusation to each of us in how we see ourselves, God and others.  He is the root behind all bitterness, self-bitterness, jealousy and envy, rejection, fear, unbelief and the occult. Yikes and yikes again and again!  I ask you as I ask myself to look for ways he is instilling these thoughts into your life and take them before our Father for His wisdom, guidance and help.  Let’s verbally denounce to the enemy the work of evil at work and take captive our thoughts in obedience to our Father’s heart. Sometimes healthy confrontation and boundaries set with love are necessary to bring victory dancing. Seek out the great godly counsel that is available around you to help you if needed! Let’s not let the enemy win! These are not always easy processes to go through, but well worth the outcome that godly strength and perseverance through it all brings. To end up on the winning end is something that makes me smile and makes my feet want to take action to be found doing the victory dance for our Father with ya all!  Let’s gang up on the power robber enemy, resist and defeat him and send him fleeing for the best new year ever! Sound like a good plan? Victory for Jesus –  it has me excited to dance on and on down victory lane!

“For we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  2 Co 10:3-5

Cheering with ya for a great new year!

Rev 12:10-11; 1 Pe 5:8-9; Col 1:21-23

Advice for The Better Life

It seems in life that there are so many slogans, quotes, theories and advice offered to help people have a better life.  Have you ever wondered who the expert is on it all?  Here is a blast from my past that offers “better life” advice  – dating back to 1964:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKuje_G8Ljw&sns=em:

What do you say?  Do you think life will go better with a coca-cola each day?  Do you put faith in an apple a day to keep the doctor away? People put their hope and faith in a lot of different and interesting things, but for me, I look to the Creator of life for the best advice in life and this is what He says about it:

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you, bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” 

The sustainer and originator of life knows what He is talking about when He offers advice for a better life.  Jesus said “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” “I am the way and the Truth and the life.”  He beckons all, saying “Follow me!” He is a true worker of miracles everyday! I’m a gal trusting in Him as the source for the best life.  Faith in His power and love for us and through us seems the better way to me. How about you?

Pr 3:3-4; Jn 1:43, 14:14:6

Choosing Freedom

Living in America, we are blessed with many freedoms of choice. For example, we have freedom to choose to worship our own God for which I am very thankful!  To have that freedom of choice is something I hold very dear!  Choice is very important to a life well lived and there are many things in the world that lead people astray from the best, making them slaves to things that bring them harm. Yikes!  Watch out for those! As I ponder today, I recall “Let’s Make a Deal” that was a game show I used to watch as a kid and I always sat in great suspense to see what waited behind the different choices of doors to open that the participants made. It was always a relief to see the people make the best choice and walk away with the very best of prizes. Oh happy day for them! My Father brings this thought to mind as I ponder His Word today about how each of us have choices in life and several choices every day! Even though we are free to choose, each one of us is in a spiritual battle for our heart. Be on guard! God, our Father is for us, but our enemy the devil is always at work setting us up for destruction. Everything bad that has ever happened and will happen on earth was planned and executed by our enemy.  Our Father is good and has nothing to do with evil. When we have discernment to see the difference between good and evil and then choose to agree with our Father by doing what is good, thus destroying the lies of the enemy that gives him a foothold, we are placing ourselves in the position to win BIG in life! Now how cool is that thought of winning BIG! I don’t see that we can go wrong in choosing good as a choice, do you?  God IS love and all of His acts and plans are not to do us harm or evil, but to prosper us and give us hope and a future! He has even given us a guide called the Bible to help us choose the best in life! Our Father is so wise! There is none as wise as He – just look around at creation for a glimpse of His smarts! I think Joshua had it figured out when he said to the Israelites “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Our Father is a God of grace and forgiveness when we fall short with no thanks to the enemy at work in the world.  The devil’s influence enslaves us and those around us in not good ways. However, we can give much thanks to God’s gift to us through His choice in sending Jesus as our Savior from sin and death if we choose to believe in Him. Upon believing in Him, He has also given us His indwelling Spirit of power and strength in us to helps us overcome the evil one and stand firm and free in doing that which is good. God is one who is not unjust. He does not forget the ways that we show love to Him by choosing Him and in helping others and continuing to help them. Choosing His ways of freedom is the best way to love ourselves, too! In choosing Jesus, we have won BIG right here and now, but there is a day yet coming when Jesus will return and He says His reward will be with Him for us as His heirs. Woohoo!  I can’t wait to see all of His Kingdom revealed in all its glory!  It will be a day in which we will be glad we made the better choice by believing in Him for freedom from the wages or consequences of sin.  It is a freeing choice and it is free.  Sounds like a great deal to me, how about you?

“This is Amazing Grace” song link here

Jos 24:15; Ja 4:1-12; Jn 3:16; Ro 3:21-26, 8:1-2; Jer 29:11; He 6:10-12; Rev 22:12

The Powerful You

New day greetings precious child of God!  This morning, I want to encourage you to view yourself going into this new day and this new year as God intends for you to see yourself.  The voices that the world can speak around each of us can rob a person of the power of God in them if unchecked, just as it threatened to do to Timothy in Biblical days. Thankfully, Paul saw the struggle that Timothy had and helped him to see himself as God saw him and hence, Timothy was a man who did powerful things for our Father! Praise the Lord! Paul reminded Timothy that our Father, who is the top authority on the subject and the final judge of all, saw Timothy as capable of his calling, gifted and equipped with a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline.  Just like Timothy, our Father has not given any of us a spirit of timidity – that spirit comes from the enemy, the devil!  Yikes!  Watch out for him! Resist him and he will flee from you! My Father speaks to me this morning of the importance of helping others around us to see themselves as our Father sees them as well – to be a positive voice of His love and grace in their lives and to encourage them to fan into flame the gift that God believes in them to use to make a difference in this world. Everyone receives spiritual gifting upon believing in Jesus and hence everyone is capable of leaving a special legacy behind for our Father’s kingdom as Timothy did as well!  How about you?  Do you see yourself as a capable, gifted and empowered saint? You are!  Don’t let the world miss out on the wonderful gift of you by believing the lies of the enemy!  You can reach the world like nobody else can! Build yourself up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit for victory! If you are not sure of your gifting, pray and also talk with some other Christians about it to find help to identify your uniqueness!  I’m oh so proud of you for going for Jesus and I’m cheering for you! You can do it! Power on! You will be so glad that you did and others will be, too!  Our Father’s love to you ~

2 Ti 1:1-7; 1 Pe 5:8-9; 1 Co 16:10-11; 1 Ti 4:12; Je 29:11; Ro 12:1-8; Ps 138:8, 139:13-14; Ac 1:8; He 3:12-15; Ju 20

The God of Hope

New day greetings to you, family! I hope that you all had a Merry Christmas!  I continue to rejoice with you in thanksgiving for the gift of Jesus entering into our world as our Savior and for the blessing that being in an intimate love relationship with Him brings. As we move closer to a new year, I so desire for all of us as our Father’s children to have lives filled with His hope, peace, joy, discernment and sense of purpose! My Father reaffirms to me this morning, the great importance of looking to His Word and His Spirit in us to lead us and guide us through life to have victory.  The enemy is always on the prowl seeking ways to counteract our Father’s Truths in our lives, so yikes!  Be on the guard and be ready with the defense of our Father’s Truth to dispel the lies of the enemy.  Always remember that our Father is for us and His eyes roam the earth to give strength to those who are committed to Him.  Got troubles?  Take time to sit with Jesus, share your heart with Him and let Him pour His love, wisdom and encouraging Word of Truth into you.  Oh, there is nothing like it in this whole wide world to give ya new perspective and determination!  Jesus said that in this world, we would have troubles, but that He has overcome the world and that He brings peace into our lives in a way that the world cannot do.  He is the God of Hope and He is with us and for us!  Nothing in the world can beat that!  Now how empowering is that!  I’m a gal seeking my Father with you and oh so excited about His outcome that will bring about His best for each of us!  His best is the best – a plan for the future that will prosper us and not bring harm to us, plans to give us hope and a future!  Keep the faith, saints!  Never surrender to the enemy – Jesus  has us in His good hands and 2014 is a year full of all His great promises for us to enable us to move forward with continued joy to the world! His love to you all ~

Word of God Speak Song Link:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/SD2MBlWz1UU?autoplay=1

Jn 1:1-14, 3:16, 14:25-27, 17:33; 1 Jn 3:1; 1 Pe 5:8-9; Mt 4:4; 2 Ch 16:9; Ro 12:1-2; 15:4; Je 29:11; Pr 3:1-6; Ro 8:28-29

His Glory in You

Greetings Dear Family ~

It has been awhile since I have written.  Christmas is a very busy time with traveling to see loved ones, family and friends traveling in to see us and extra special preparations that take place in anticipation of the celebration of the birth of our Savior.  It is a very delightful time of year! This year, however, I have also had several family members with serious family matters that has required my attention.  All of this added to the normal responsibilities of life can leave one with not as much quiet time. While I am thankful for the opportunities to walk through these things, I have missed writing and sharing my pondering of Jesus’ heart with you!  I am basking in the warmth of my Father’s love as I sit with Him this evening, though and as I open up His Word to hear His voice, He gently reminds me of how important it is in the busyness of life that each of us, His children, take time to love ourselves by taking care of ourselves.  His Word written in Psalms says “I love the house where you live, O Lord, the place where your glory dwells.”  As I reflect upon this, I hear my Father’s voice tell me, love yourself, daughter, for I live in you and with My Spirit living in you, my glory dwells in you!  Now how is that for making ya feel special?  It works for this gal!  This is true for each one of us as His kids, so I share with you as my Father shares with me – love yourself, saint!  You carry with you the glory of our Father in you, too! You are special just by being you and you also have His power in you to do great things in this world!  Part of loving you and living gloriously, though and being able to continue to bless those around us is taking care of us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  That means taking breaks as is needed to love and help you (the house where our Father lives, where His glory dwells).  I look forward to doing life with you ongoing and I hope that wherever you are, you have a Merry Christmas! I celebrate the gift of Him in us with you!  How glorious is that!  It all just makes me smile!

 Ps 26:8, 127:2, 139:13-14; 1 Co 3:16-17; 2 Co 3:18; Mk 4:38; Ac 1:8