Tea with Jesus

Psalm 9:9-10 
For the Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

Spending time with Jesus this morning. Reading His word. Finding peace in His promises. Drinking tea out of a cup given by a precious friend. 

When life feels like a hurricane around you...Jesus is the refuge you can run to. I was thinking...everyone around me seems to be going through some of the biggest trials of their lives. Many of them ask why. Why, Lord, do I have to suffer so much? You know what answer comes to me? 
We go through these trials because He wants us to run to Him. It is so close to the end time and I believe everyone is feeling that "squeeze." So what do we do about?...run as hard and fast to Jesus Christ as we can. He has already won the battle for us. We need only to yield and let Him work. Praise God for His promises. Help me, Lord, to yield to you and let you work in me. 

"He is our peace, Who has broken down every wall.
He is our peace, He is our peace.

He is our peace, Who has broken down every wall.
He is out peace, He is our peace.

Cast all your cares on Him, 
For He careth for you,
He is our peace, He is our peace."

God bless you friends. 

Truth is Freedom...

Thinking about truth this morning and thought I would jot some thoughts down before I dash off to work. I've been asked more than usual in the past year of my life to lie. Some about very big things like the use of expired medicine, and others not quite so big like "don't tell the health department that we reuse these plastic bowls."

It seems silly...but as a christian...aren't we supposed to be truth sayers? Don't we serve and live for the One person who established truth? When someone asks you to tell a "little white lie" or "just a bluff"...how little is it exactly to God?

I'm not trying to be condemning here...just thinking out loud for myself. Father...never let me be caught in a lie no matter how "small" it may seem to the world. Help me to stand and to stand only for truth.

Ephesians 6:13
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Free from all insecurity

I bid you good morning dear ones, as I sit wrapped in my warm fuzzy robe drinking a smoothie of assorted fruits, almond milk, and spinach (which I should have blended a lot more than what I did). 

My thought this morning is on insecurities. What is an insecurity? I looked it up on Mr. Webster's website and this is what it says: 
- not confident about yourself or your ability to do things well : nervous and uncomfortable

- not certain to continue or be successful for a long time

- not locked or well protected

My goodness how I have let this take over me lately. What is it, do you think, that causes insecurities? Events that occurred in the past? That's part of it I'm sure, but what it really boils down to is us letting satan steal our victory. He plants those little thoughts and nervous feelings in us and we let them take over. Granted we are human, and every one of us has dealt with this...but it hit me today that insecurities can put blocks in relationships (family, friends, spouse, etc.) and not only relationships but every area of life! That isn't what God intended for us, friends. 

Two scriptures came to mind as I was pondering and praying about this subject...

1 Peter 2:9-10 

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Romans 8:37-39

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God has made us to be so much more than we allow ourselves to be. Satan knows it, that's why he tries to take it from us. Lord, help me to be an overcomer of insecurities. Give me that godly confidence you want me to have as your child; a child of the King.

It's the Little Things

I got a book for Christmas called Kisses from Katie. It's a true story of a girl who feels led to go to Uganda, Africa for a short mission trip but ends up moving there to be a kindergarden teacher as soon as she graduates high school. Totally unprepared for what she was about to encounter, God takes this 18 year old girl from Tennessee and flips her life completely upside down. In a year's time she goes from kindergarden teacher, to nurse, to creating a ministry to raise money for kids who cannot afford to go to school, to a mother of 14 little girls.

I know this sounds like a crazy story, or even to some people, a dumb story...but when you read the words of this young girl and see how God teaches her to love so unconditionally every person she comes into contact with...it honestly makes me ashamed of myself. I have a hard time going a whole day without fighting with my own sisters.

There has been an ache in my heart for a while now and I have never been able to describe it. I thought maybe God wanted me to go into missionary work, but as I started reading this book (perfect timing by the way) I realized that I can achieve so much of God's work right among my own little bubble of life. Even in the smallest way, to the person on the receiving end, it can seem so huge. That right there is a ministry in itself.

I pray God changes my heart. I want Him to make me selfless, humble, caring, and passionate about projecting His love and His life through my own. Thinking of these things, this song comes to mind:

I want to live the way He wants me to live,
I want to give until there's just no more to give,
I want to love, love 'til there's just no more love,
For I could never, ever out love the Lord.

Use me Lord...

Prone to Ponder

Have you ever thought about how you look when someone is talking to you about something that matters to them, but doesn't really mean anything to you? Do you sit and listen intently as if what that person has to say is the most important thing in the world? Or do you shift in boredom, wondering when they will be done so you either don't have to listen to the story any more or you can finally talk about something that involves you?

Here I am again, prone to ponder. The reason being is because I caught myself doing the boredom shift today when someone was trying to tell me about something they thought interesting. I was sitting here crocheting when the scene played through in my mind...shame on me. Shame on me for not making that person feel important.

So often when I'm talking to someone, I want them to feel just as excited as I am about whatever it is I'm chatting about. It just made me think...every person, no matter how old or young, and no matter the situation or subject...every person wants to feel important and interesting.

Help me Lord to lose my selfishness and place others before me. Help me to make people feel important and loved with all of the sincerity in my heart!

Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

My home called Texas

For the past two weeks I've been in Belton, TX at my grandparent's house. It has been at least two years since I've been here to see them. And the moment I walked in the door, familiar smells and memories from my childhood flooded in.

It was after I took my suitcase to the backroom and found my seat in the family room when it hit me... This place was home. This place was where my spiritual roots came from, as I could always hear Brother Branham playing somewhere in the background, or my grandpa praying in his office, or my grandma singing Beaulah land as she did the dishes. It's also a place where, even if the people changed, the house and memories never did.

Tonight is our last night here and I can't help but wish I could stay longer. I had a pretty hard time being away from my church and good friends back home, but my heart breaks knowing I have to leave my wonderful grandparents in the morning.

I thank the Lord so much for the two people He gave me as grandparents. Truly they are wariors of the gospel and I can't wait for the day we cross into eternity so we never have to say goodbye. I'm thankful for my time here and I will cherish sitting with my grandpa every day at two o'clock to watch westerns and laying at the foot of my grandma's bed while she watched the news. I love you both very much.

Off to Neverland!

Today is the first day of my new job as a vet tech. Yes people...I graduated...finally!!! Part of me wants to look for Tinkerbell so I can fly off to Neverland, and the other part of me is actually excited to start making money, saving...spending :) (My first purchase will be an iphone.)

It's a good transition going from college poor kid to working adult. I was genuinely afraid at first but God, my parents, and dear friend Kendra talked me through all the scary thoughts and I am now on my feet and on my way.

A dear sister friend of mine tells me all the time to trust God for He will tie everything I am worrying about together perfectly. And He has. He also brought my big brother out for my graduation the same day I got my job. :) He's a good God. <3

Love :)