My Thoughts - My Journey

What a gorgeous day....full of sun shine, birds singing....just so much peaceful beauty to soak-in and enjoy. For some, the beauty of this day is clouded by illness, heartbreak, stress, financial collapse, depression, sorrow, family division....on and on there are so many things we are dealt in this life that steal joy and cover us with burdens that keep us from seeing or experiencing anything positive or of beauty. Climbing out from under the load that is pressing down on us  is not easy....not at all! Many times we don't feel comfortable expressing to others all that we are going through. We want to appear strong, put together, unshaken....but life is real and it can be very tough. We need people in our lives that we can also open up to and be real with.  There is One Who we can always share with and that is our Holy Creator. You might think....right, but He isn't here; I can't touch Him, I can't see Him, I can't hear His voice. Well, have you really listened fo

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:21-23 There are times we feel like we will be consumed by grief, but we can cling to this Scripture because we know God’s love will not fail us. It says we will not be consumed because of how strong His love is for us as His children. We are told, as Christians, we suf fer through things just as non-believers will because of this old world we live in. But, we have an advantage…..we have God on our side to cover us with His hands and protect us from being devoured. It does not mean we won’t have bad things happen, but it means we have the only One who can get us through watching over us and caring for us in ways we don’t even recognize. This is our hope and when we hit bottom, we must have something to hope for. Knowing God’s love is steadfast and unchanging will

"I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth." ~ Genesis 9:13 So majestic is the arch of brilliant colors streaming across the sky after a rain. Many translations of the Bible....such as the KJV, ESV, NASV, etc....use the word "bow" rather than rainbow. I love the use of the word bow as it gives vision to a grander meaning. We imagine a bow as tying or binding something together. God gave us the rainbow as a symbol of the trust worthiness of His promises....as a symbol of hope in Him. Just think of how many thousands of years He has been placing His bow in the sky showing us that His covenant, His care, His love for us is ever present and never changing. In times of struggle, stress, and sorrow, what better gift than to think of the bow that connects us to our Father in real, tangible ways. He is our hope and through Him there is no greater love and security. So many are suffering through illnesses, broken families

If it is true that a picture paints a thousand words, then there was a Roman centurion who got a dictionary full. All he did was see Jesus suffer. He never heard Him preach or saw Him heal or followed Him through the crowds. He never witnessed Him still the wind; he only witnessed the way He died. But, that was all it took to cause this soldier to take a giant step in faith.  He said, "Surely this was a righteous Man." ~ Luke 23:47

If you want to share Jesus, then rekindle your first love. The desire and ability to share God's message of love and forgiveness, comes from having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. How can anyone share what they don't have? Or, how can one tell another how to experience real life without experiencing that life himself? "Stir up the gift that is in you" ~ 2 Timothy 1:6 Amen! †

as it random occurrences or was it Divine encounters? That is the question I asked myself for the first time twenty years ago. They didn’t happen often or with any regularity; however, I quickly realized that they were guided, on-point, perfectly timed events and instances. I reluctantly shared some of my stories, only to find out that I wasn’t alone in this experience. There were many who had similar stories that had kept them close…fearing if shared, others might look at t hem a little strange or maybe even with disbelief. These are honest, sincere, heartfelt stories which will hopefully validate – for the skeptics or non-believers – that God does answer prayers, gives us signs, and blesses us with unexpected gifts from Him that have no other logically explanation. I have collected several stories for consideration in a book I am writing. They are stories proven, only by faith, that God was in control of circumstances that otherwise had no concrete basis. These powerful, encouragin

Godly Encounters are stories laced with sorrow, tragedy, loss, stress, despair, depression, financial crises, broken relationships…..on and on; however, with each story God shows up and changes everything! No matter how your story began, it ends with hope and healing. Perhaps He protected you in an auto accident, perhaps He put a delay in your path to hinder you from being in the middle of a tragedy down the road, maybe He healed your marriage, turned your finances around, bl essed you with the baby that defied what doctors had told you, maybe He put you in just the right place and just the right time to be the person that someone needed that very moment. The stories, experiences, and encounters are endless. It is YOUR story and I want to hear it. Please send your Godly Encounter to: godlyencounters@gmail.com Write in a Word Document and attach to an email. Blessings, Patricia Harrod-Wyrosdick

Most of us have a story...and encounter....and experience; however, not everyone realizes it or will acknowledge it. Please "like" my page, "Experiencing God" and share a bit of your story. It is important to make your testimony public so others will be uplifted and encouraged from it. He also deserves the glory for all good things that He blesses you with in your life. https://www.facebook.com/GodlyEncountersHeavenlyTouches/?fref=nf&pnref=story Please share a bit of YOUR story on this page. We would love to see how you have experienced the presence of God in your life. It was not just happenstance, luc k, or chance....It was God and He should receive the glory. Encourage others and allow them to see that God does still actively work in our lives today. Amen! † PLEASE SEND ME YOUR FULL STORY/STORIES. godlyencounters@gmail.com (Type in Word and add to email as an attachment.) I need YOUR Godly Encounter to go in my book so it can be shared with others an

Such a beautiful day! Thanking our gracious Father for all blessings that this day will afford us. Pleading with Him to bring healing to the sick, calm to the stressed, comfort to those who are in sorrow, and peace over all things. His love is an everlasting love...a love that no other can compare. He gave us His Son so that we might live. He gave us His Holy Spirit to live within so that we are never alone.  He is magnificent! He is mighty! His wonder is beyond what we can fathom. He has cleansed us, renewed us, and prepared an eternal life for us. It is through Him that we live, breathe, and have our very being. It is through Him that we have hope, experience joy, and defeat evil. I give Him all praise, glory, and thanksgiving. Amen!  ✝

We will not know God as Jehovah Rapha, our Healer, until we experience and recognize His healing in our lives....whether spiritually, emotionally, mentally or physically. We cannot know Him as Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, if we have never been in need. We will not know Him as Jehovah Nissi, our Banner, unless we acknowledge our need in Him for victory. When we take time to deepen and grow our relationship with Jesus, our confidence in Him deepens. And we can live in the promise of this verse.....“Those who know your name trust you, O LORD, because you have never deserted those who seek your help.” ~ Psalm 9:10 Dear Lord, we want to know You for who You really are. We desire to trust and follow You more and more each day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. †

Thanking God for this gorgeous day! I commit this day to You, Lord. Use us, open doors up for us, fill us with Your presence, direct our paths. Rejoicing in His love! Hope all of you enjoy this day; although, I know that there are so many who are struggling with life's issues.  Our journey can be so difficult at times, but we can have hope through Him that He will carry us through. My prayers continue with all who are experiencing dark days. May you receive the blessing of better days to come. Hold fast to Him and in knowing how much He loves you. Amen! †

Below are two pics which represent a "life span" ruler. You tear at where your age is today. Then, you tear at where you imagine your time on Earth to end.....of course, we all know this is a guess, but be reasonable with your expectations. The first piece will represent the life you have lived to this point....the last piece will be where you begin eternity....and the middle piece is your life from today until your projected time to leave this Earth. For those of us with som e years behind us....our middle piece, even if we give ourselves gracious extra time on Earth, is still very short.  What are we going to do with this time we have left? I gave myself 25 more years; however, we know that eternity could come today, tomorrow, or next week. Life is truly a vapor...."Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." ~ James 4:14....and the more years we live, the more that becom

We are not going to accomplish anything positive in a contentious situation. We have to learn to walk away. If we associate with good people, their qualities will have a positive affect on us; therefore, we must be selective about who we spend our time with. We weren’t created to endure life....we were created to enjoy it! Sometimes we forget just how big God is.....just how very present He is in our lives. He, through His Word and the Holy Spirit, have called each of us to Him. We must be as Samuel and respond, "Here I am." "Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, "Here I am!" 1 Samuel 3:4 YOU are His magnificent! Don't ever allow anyone to make you feel or think differently. YOU are His chosen. YOU are the one He gave His Son for. YOU are His joy and for YOU, He created all. Never doubt YOUR value as YOUR value is higher than any amount money could buy. Jesus purchased YOUR salvation with His own precious blood. YOU have been wonderfully made

Through our Savior, Jesus the Christ, we are made whole. We are all made one in Him. When our Holy Father and Creator God designed us, He fashioned us all in His image (Genesis 1:27). We all came from one man and one woman who together were able to bring-forth every blood-type and every skin color. Our blood is not specific to race. There are 8 blood groups that are either negative or positive. 0+, 0-, A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB-, and ALL of God's created humans have one of thes e blood types.  If we would just re-focus our attention away from the color of one's skin and from predetermining their weaknesses or negatives as a group....what a better world this would be. We all bleed red! We were all created in His image! If we are believers and Jesus followers, then we can NOT be prejudice people as the two are polar opposites. In times of crisis, we need to unite rather than building barriers that only serve to bring more division among us. We should not blanket all people into a

We are to love with a never ending love.....even when others are not very lovable. Just as we read in 1 John 4:19, "We love because He first loved us." As true as that statement is and our desire should be, because of this fallen world and who it belongs, there will always be anger acted out in violence, racism, sexism, and a general disdain for others who aren't "like me." Many want to "cookie cutter" all people into being what they perceive as "above the rest" and with that  mindset, peace will never fully come until He returns.....and that is as it is supposed to be.  Peace, joy, and love is what we long for, but that is to come in the gift of eternal life, not here in our earthly shell. What happened in Orlando is devastating and deeply heartbreaking. My prayers continue for all the families and the community as they try to heal.  Satan waged war and used the shooter as his pawn. As painful and tragic as this is, we can take comfort i

We all need someone to encourage us....someone who can speak faith into our situation and lift our head up....someone who can remind us of the promises of God and say, "You can do it!" We need someone who can gently push us when we would rather stay in a protective shell....someone who loves us enough to straighten out our thinking when we aren't seeing things right and we should do the same for them. That is what friends are for!  :)

How amazing it is to know that our Creator listens to our request. WOW! "Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven." ~ Daniel 10:12 † My Dear Heavenly Father, forgive us when we focus more on our own limitations rather than Your power. There is nothing too great for You. Help us to turn our thoughts away from what we can't do, to what You have placed in front of us. We trust You to do  the rest. In Jesus' Holy and Mighty Name, Amen. "Christ gives me the strength to face anything." ~ Philippians 4:13

Wake up America! What happened in Orlando last night is just a small taste of what is to come. We have been warned and fore-warned time and time again, but seems our government doesn't take any of the threats serious enough until we are covered in blood-shed. How can we turn this around? We are dealing with people who are more than willing to lay down their lives in order to take the lives of others because they actually believe that God will reward them in the afterlife beca use in their minds....they are dying as martyrs.  The digression of our country on every moral ground and the state of this world as a whole is ushering in the return of Jesus. We don't know the day nor the hour; however, we know this world has changed massively in the last 40 years. Because His return is eminent, it is imperative that we live for eternity...not just for today.  Pray for a blanket covering to protect our beautiful America and her people. Pray for those who wish to harm us as I pray God

Sadness overwhelms our country as people with cold hearts calculate and carry out the deaths of so many. Praying today for the souls who were shot in the Orlando Bar shooting as the number of deaths and injured continue to rise. Praying for all the families who are today in shock and in disbelief over such a tragedy. This is the largest shooting with casualties in the U.S. during a non-wartime environment. Also praying for the family of the senseless death of the beautiful, y oung, and talented Christina Grimmie who was 3rd runner up from the Voice.  During tragedies such as this, we must remember that God does not bring about or cause evil. As we know, this is satan's world and he will continue to wreck havoc until Jesus returns. We cannot make sense of such loss because there is no sense to it. It is in times, such as this, that we are brought boldly to the realization that our world if filled with hurting, suffering, broken, lost people. Those who committed these horrible crim

If you wonder whether God can do something with the mess of your life, the answer is YES! He can turn your worst days into dreams come true. Have faith and trust that He is literally working everything out for your good. He is mighty, powerful, loving, compassionate, merciful, full of grace and able to do above all that we can imagine. You must believe with expectancy of receiving. God will never let you down! Amen!  ✝

My calling is one of positivity, encouragement, and edification. I strive to build up one’s soul, to offer hope, and point to His Light in all circumstances. I will go down to the pit with you, but only to reach out my hand to lift you out from where life has landed you. I will lift you before our Holy Creator and Father God and plead with Him to bring you out of whatever struggle, pain, or sorrow you are going through. I will praise Him with you when blessings shower over yo u. We all have times of heartbreak, disappointments, and struggles of all dimensions; however, that is not my focus because we have a God Who is bigger and mightier than all that satan throws in our path. Each of you who have asked me for prayers on Facebook…..I lift you before Him in the Name of Jesus every day. I pray with expectancy that just as He tells us in Romans 8:28…..”And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for th

Praying a blessing over everyone this Memorial Day. A day of somber remembrance....a day of celebration. Praying a special thanksgiving for all who serve, who have served, and for those families who no longer have their loved one because of the ultimate service they gave to all of us. Praying safety for all of you who are traveling today. Praying for our country in these troubled times, for the decision makers, and for those who execute the charge to keep our country safe and protect our liberties. When passing by an American flag, pause just for a second, to give it the honor well deserved. It stands strong for our freedom, for lives saved, and for blood shed....Freedom.  I hope each of you enjoy a very Happy Memorial Day!  <3

We find out about the Father and the Son in the Scriptures, but those same Scriptures tell us we should be in a living relationship with God. That's why the apostle Paul wrote that he wanted to know Christ and the power of his resurrection (Philippians 3:10). And that is why he prayed for the Ephesians that the Father would give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ (Eph 1:17). It is knowing Christ Himself that is important....not just knowing about Him. †

Tonight, what you are facing might be much bigger, much stronger than you are. Nevertheless, if God is for you, who dare be against you? There is no battle to large and no weight to heavy that we cannot be triumphant from. He will wage war on our behalf. He will carry our burdens if we will just hand them over. No one.....NO ONE.....has more love for us, more desire for us to succeed, and no more power to make all good things happen for us than our Holy Father and Creator God! † Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love....... "What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?" ~ Romans 8:31

Somewhere in the day-to-day, we can forget how important it is to support each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. We can forget the need to foster a sense of community. And, as soon as we forget these things, it's much easier for thoughts of judgment to creep in. In those moments, it's crucial to remember that being a source of encouragement is our biblical calling. Let's make a pact to build each other up. To not judge one another. Ever! Even when we see things differently. Build each other up, encourage, speak words carefully chosen, and with love. † "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today," so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." Hebrews 3:13

If you live your life in the past....your life is history! Live life to its fullest. We can reflect on what "was" as a reminder how to move forward in a different direction. Live in the present and enjoy every blessing that is poured-out on you. In Genesis 9:13 we read, "I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth." But, it can also signify the calm after the storms of life. He has given us a rainbow....a promise of a better day to come. Embrace Him, His way, enjoy today, and long for that day which is yet to come....on the other side. †

Sometimes what we are most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set us free! We pray, we say we trust God for the answer.....we feel the nudge telling us what we really need to do, but we hold back. We stop in our tracks and refuse to move forward. Fear, doubt, questions take over....we wonder, what if I do or what if I don't?  Then, we just stay....remaining complacent, stagnant in our not so comfortable spot, but it is our familiar spot...although not one of happiness, not one of fulfillment. Yet, we continue to box ourselves in, smothering....peaking over the top of our little box we can see freedom at a distance not so far away. Just climb out, take the steps.....He will walk this path with you. BE FREE in your journey! †

Sometimes the waves are so high, the turbulence so strong....feeling like being fully engulfed....The waves crash with monumental force! The skies dim as the sun fades behind the clouds and the rain starts to beat down. There is no unders tanding of why....Why did the storm have to come and rip happiness right out from under….Why? Weakness, despair, fear, complete sadness stomps as if there is no resistance against....just a sense of giving up...giving in. A heart rendered broken in pieces with wonder if it can ever mend.  Dropping to knees, helplessly falling face forward, arms lifting to the heavens, uncontrollable crying, pleading…..overwhelmed, but yet in the middle a release is washing over, a freeing. Captured by His presence, hope comes in as doubt and fear are being chased away. His voice whispers….I said I would never leave you, I am here. His promises come flooding my soul like a mighty rushing wind. I will dry your tears, My comfort will be outpouring as My arms stretch ar

In the middle of circumstances, we can not see, feel, or sometimes even believe the truth that is bundled in the words from Isaiah below. However, when we realize that there is no other comfort, there is no other strength, there is no other to lift us in our darkest time.....we learn the meanings to these words like never before. Life can forever be changed...in the very second it takes to breathe; however, through Him - His power - His strength - His loving comfort, we can h old on and without fear we can live another day......and some-days, living seems to be the hardest thing we can do. So many in deep heartache, sorrow, loss, illness....on and on, but Jesus will not leave us alone...... "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." ~ Isaiah 41:10 Dear Merciful and Most Holy Father, please reach down and wrap Your loving arms around those who are hurting,

Many times we have read this text and many times we have allowed it to go into our minds, let it sit there for a bit, then release the words without allowing them to pierce our souls. These are words for us to live by, to die by, and to which we will be judged by. They are not simply words on a page that have meaning to "someone." No, they have "real" and "serious" meaning for each of us. I was led to share this message....not for some of us, but rather for each and every one  of us. Be Blessed! † The Judgment - Matthew 25:31-46 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdo

People question about pain and suffering, where does it come from and why do good people suffer; therefore, just thought I would share a few words on the subject. We are told in the Bible that God is loving, compassionate, and merciful; God is perfect; God is so divine and inherently good that we mortal, sinful beings cannot even stand in his presence. In the Old Testament, leaders like Moses had to remove their shoes or veil their faces to be anywhere in the vicinity of God, because the very space that God occupied was holy. First John 4:8 says simply and concisely: “God is love.” Based on this understanding of God, we see that inflicting suffering on his creation would contradict God’s fundamental nature. So, if not from God, then who? The answer to the question is satan. The book of Job speaks to this in some detail as Job is victimized by the devil through attacks on his family, possessions, and, finally, himself. The interesting thing to note here, however….and what gives some

We are all in desperate need of grace. As our Father lovingly blesses us with His grace, we are to unselfishly give that grace to others. "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." ~ Colossians 4:6 The biblical writers speak of a "new earth." Something about "heaven" will be so much like "earth" it is called a "new earth." John in his Revelation also uses the word "city." In fact he calls it the "New Jerusalem." These visions help us grasp the meaning of the Lord's Prayer...."Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Studying the Bible is like discovering hidden treasure. With the right tools, you'll find what you're looking for. The wealth you find....priceless! † Been spending my morning at the foot of the cross, lifting prayers to my gracious Father through our Savior and

We do love to boast and brag don't we? No problem with sharing our achievements, but never at the cost of making others feel less. And in many cases, it is our bragging that is exactly for that purpose....to lift ourselves above someone else. Shame on us when we do that. To build ourselves up only to hurt another is not pleasing to our Creator. Most of us, at some point, have known the feeling of being less-than; therefore, let's keep that in the forefront of our minds and sh ow meekness rather than pride. In our professional life, titles and accolades have their place, but in our day-to-day, we don't need the titles. Keep in mind that Jesus loves the "least of these" and wants none of His children to be hurt by another. If your horn is to be tooted, let it be done by others. That is an occasion for you to exude a humble character and maybe even an opportunity to lift up someone else. "Don't brag about yourself let others praise you." ~ Proverbs

People question about pain and suffering, where does it come from and why do good people suffer; therefore, just thought I would share a few words on the subject. We are told in the Bible that God is loving, compassionate, and merciful; God is perfect; God is so divine and inherently good that we mortal, sinful beings cannot even stand in his presence. In the Old Testament, leaders like Moses had to remove their shoes or veil their faces to be anywhere in the vicinity of God , because the very space that God occupied was holy. First John 4:8 says simply and concisely: “God is love.” Based on this understanding of God, we see that inflicting suffering on his creation would contradict God’s fundamental nature. So, if not from God, then who? The answer to the question is satan. The book of Job speaks to this in some detail as Job is victimized by the devil through attacks on his family, possessions, and, finally, himself. The interesting thing to note here, however….and what gives some

There are times when God wants to use us in someone else's life; it may not be pretty or comfortable, but they need to see Jesus! It isn't a mere cliche...for many you and I are the closest image some will see as Jesus in their life. Be a good listener, exude compassion, express love, and overflow with grace and mercy. Speak when necessary; however, in many cases a few words go a long way, but the other qualities I mentioned are powerful and can be life-changing. You MUST choose to love everyone! Even those nasty-tongued people who talk about you. Yes, even them! You don't have to like them....or hang out with them, if they cast darkness in your life. Learning to offer your love to those who do not love you, to those who mistreat you, can be very difficult. It is only through your loving relationship with Him that you can do this. Love and just let the bad stuff go! Just know that God will handle it and live in joy, peace, and freedom ! Always lift those who are negative

Many times we ask...But who am I? I'm just_________(fill in with your name)! I don't feel I have a clear grasp of who I am; therefore, how can I ever figure out my real purpose? After all....who am I anyway? Well, if you are in Jesus, I will tell you who you are…… I am accepted! I am God's child. John 1:12 ~ I am Christ's friend. ~ John 15:15 ~ I have been justified. Rom. 5:1 ~ I have been bought with a price. I belong to God. ~ 1 Cor. 6:19-20 ~ I am a member of Christ's body. 1 Cor. 12:27 ~ I have been adopted as God's child. Eph. 1:5 ~ I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit. Eph. 2:18 ~ I have been forgiven of all my sins. Col. 1:14 ~ I am complete in Christ. Col. 2:10 I am safe! I am free forever from condemnation. Rom. 8:1-2 ~ I am assured that all things work together for good. Rom. 8:28 ~ I am FREE from any condemning charges against me. Rom. 8:31-34 ~ I cannot be separated from the love of God. Rom. 8:35-39 ~

We must learn to follow God's lead without knowing where He is taking us. Easy...No way! Necessary? Yes! We will only reach the end destination that we desire by submitting all we have and all we are to Him. A life of surrender requires trust, and that trust is developed in the context of relationship. In order to surrender our lives to God, we must believe that He is good and is worthy of our trust. Perhaps that sounds easy and for some, it might be easier than it is for others. For many that is easier said than done and it is often due to doubt and disappointment from past experiences with people or churches.  It is possible to become weary and harden our hearts by such things, but there is hope! We can begin to trust Jesus when we understand what He has done for each of us. He left heaven, He felt hunger, hurt, rejection, He was beaten, and crucified....all for us. He proved His love, He earned our trust, and He wants a relationship with each of us. As we magnify our Lord

I see so many hurt, broken, sad, people daily on Facebook. So much pain in this world. So much illness. Lives sometimes only hanging on by a thread. Pray until your situation changes. Miracles happen every day, so never stop believing. God can change things very quickly in your life. Do you believe He can? The key is believing!  No, not everything is always going to be as we want it, but when those times come....remain faithful, assured, believing that, in the end, ALL will be ok for those who have named Jesus as their Lord and who live a life in the shadow of His footprints. Praising Him for His ever washing us with His blood and for covering us with His grace and mercy. His love is so great and powerful for each of His children. We truly cannot fathom the depths of His love for us. Amen! ✝

This was a very timely post as last night I was reading an article by a minister who said...in referencing the Old Covenant and the New Covenant...the "former Covenant and the better Covenant." I had never heard the Covenants described in that manner. I appreciate that through the teachings of such men as Bobby Valentine  we are able to discern that the Old and New are a continuing story. What would the New be without the Old....it would not exist. Such a beautiful narrative of God's love that flows throughout. I love this...."The promise is: The Lord will be the God of his beloved people. The People reciprocate in acknowledging the Lord as “their God.” The Lord will live with his people, dwell in their midst, together within the “land” … the New Heavens and New Earth." Takes me back to Genesis 3:8-9 ~ "When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the tr

Teaching against dancing and trying to prove it it the Bible, which has much positive to say about dancing, is ludicrous. This is just the tip of the "better safe than sorry" legalistic mode of teaching and living in this denominational tradition. It is just sad! We should teach from a place of love, grace, mercy, and out of freedom that we have been blessed with through the saving blood of our Savior, Jesus the Christ. Hell is not for the saved, but for those who are non-believers. Hell is not a fear for those who are walking with Jesus. Regulations made by man through twisting of the texts to make them fit a preconceived doctrine is sin. Those who promote such and cause others to walk away out of feeling they can never measure up will be held accountable. Fear tactics are applied by those who have yet to grasp God's grace and an understanding of what it means to truly be a follower of Jesus. It is our heart's condition....not a set of stifling rules to govern us w

No matter what our journey has been like on Earth, our beginning was a creation of our Holy Father. Just think......We are not here by chance, but by God's choosing. His hand formed us and made us the individuals we are. He compares us to no one else....We are ONE OF A KIND....We should never take our place with Him for granted or take it lightly. The Maker of ALL things chose to give YOU life. That makes you very special! Live your journey in His presence ever growing in the gifts He has given you. Be ever striving forward with eyes focused on The Light....†

It’s easy to just fit in and be like everybody else, but God didn’t create us to be average. He created us to stand out....to be extraordinary! Stretch beyond what you envision as your limit because He knows how high you can soar and He will lift you up at just the right moment. ✝

When we can let go of what’s in our hands and place our complete trust in God, we can be certain that what comes next will always be better than any plan of our own. May we always be open to You Lord so we may live and rest in You as our refuge and our fortress. Your plans and Your thoughts are beyond what we know. Help us be confident in Your leading and bold in our following. May our hands always be open for You and our eyes focused on You, Lord. Amen! † “I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” Psalm 91:2

May our hearts always forgive the worst. May we have a mind-set to intentionally "forget" the bad. Although, God did not create us to forget because we need to learn from the past; however, we do not need to continue to hold on to what has been forgiven; therefore, we must try to let go. May our spirits always long to draw nearer to Him and our souls never lose faith. May we always desire eyes that see the best. It is only through our relationship with Jesus that we can achieve such things. †

Tunnel vision is real and the daily grind is hard. It’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture amidst the challenges of life. We can easily be consumed by our trials, forgetting to look up and see what God is doing all around us. When the mission becomes too difficult and there’s little to show for all of our hard work, it’s tempting to throw in the towel. That’s when we need a healthy dose of encouragement. We need to be reminded that God is real, he is at work, he is for us, and he is faithful.

We live in a world crippled by judgment, hate, and fear. There are days even in our own communities where loving our neighbors doesn’t even seem possible. However, if we choose to love those around us....our friends, our neighbors, our communities, and even complete strangers....we’re taking a step forward into the life God has planned for us. Jesus speaking, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ~ Matthew 22:37-39 †

Have you ever felt that the more you do....the more you give....the blessings seem to come pouring back to you? We must treat all we have as His. I pray to always give willingly and cheerfully as I seek to be a blessing to those in my life who might need a helping hand. My parents were my greatest example. Although they did not have great financial means in this world....they had huge, loving hearts and they always gave even when their "storehouse" was nearly empty. In addition, giving is not always an issue of giving money. One of our greatest gifts is to give of ourselves by serving those in need. † "The generous will prosper, those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed." ~ Proverbs 11:25