Use Your Voice – The World Needs The Savior

Has anyone ever said to you:

No one cares what you think

You don’t matter

First of all, pity those people.

The truth is: God loves you.

Your value comes from Him and no one can take that away from you.

What a precious thought!!

You’re worth it!

Each of us are created in His image, and God doesn’t make mistakes.

Therefore, you are not a mistake.

He wired you with passions, convictions, and gifts to reflect His heart to a world in need. You’ve got some good work to do, battles to fight, and giants to confront. You have some gifts to steward, moments to enjoy, and wisdom to acquire. You were crafted by God’s own hand.¹ – Susie Larson, Christian author.

Isn’t that beautiful?

But, why would a sovereign God create any of us, when all of us fail Him daily?

And, what about those lost people who reject Him entirely?

Why would He create something that causes Him pain? I say ask your parents. Why do parents bring children into the world, knowing that they will cause us pain? Because we are made in God’s image and, like God, we want to to give and to receive love. Parents will endure all kinds of pain because of this love. – John Oaks, Christian author and teacher.

parental love

Perhaps you’ve heard the expression, “With all your faults, I love you still.”

That represents the essence of what I’m saying here.

God knows our faults full well, yet He forgives.

Through His Son Jesus, we have been granted incomprehensible and immeasurable grace.

Use Your Voice, Tell Your Story

For those people in your life who cut you down with their words or actions, remember, the one Who gave you life is with You through this often difficult life journey.

Try not to let their petty comments bother you.

Our purpose is to glorify Him, no matter what our circumstances and through the good times and the bad.

Use your voice

If you’re breathing, He has handpicked you to help shine His light in your sphere of influence . . . wherever you are and through whatever challenges you’re facing.

It’s not because He needs your help, but because He has uniquely gifted you.

But how can I glorify Him in a nursing home, for example?

Here’s just a couple of suggestions:

Use your voice

Talk about Jesus and share your journey to faith

Write down your testimony (or get someone to do it for you)

It can be a part of your legacy for your children and grandchildren

I do feel like, looking at the mess our country is in today . . . time is short.

Fear isn’t our authority, God is.

Christians – we need to get to work wherever God has placed us.

Use your voice, tell your story – whatever it takes.

If God has brought you through, or is bringing you through something difficult, share the Source of your strength.

One day soon, we will see Jesus face to face, and all of our sorrows will be wiped away, never to trigger us again. We’ll only know everlasting joy. We’ll know Jesus like we never imagined possible. What treasured gifts await us! – Susie Larson, Christian author.

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Susie Larson quotations, courtesy of susielarson.com, “You Are A Masterpiece”. Adapted from Susie’s 365 Devotional, Prevail.

John Oakes quotation, courtesy of EvidenceforChristianity.org, Doctrinal questions. “Why did God create us if He knew we would be imperfect and cause Him such pain?” June 3, 2015., para. 4. Retrieved from https://evidenceforchristianity.org/why-did-god-create-us-if-he-knew-we-would-be-imperfect-and-cause-him-such-pain/

Our Exceptional God

God Will See Me Through It

If God promised it, you can count on it!

People you know may let you down, but when it comes to our Sovereign God, you can trust Him completely.

Knowing God through His Word is the fuel for our faith.

⁶For he will never be shaken;
The righteous will be remembered forever.

⁷He will not fear bad news;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. – Psalm 112:6-7, (NASB).

God always keeps His promises, so we have the very best reason to stay encouraged.

And, we have Jesus.

With that in mind, we can rest assured that when troubles come, He hears our cries.

Through constant prayer, we can depend on God to give us comfort, strength and the peace we need to endure whatever comes our way.

Those assurances are the reason I think that Brandon Heath’s new song has really hit a chord with people.

“See Me Through It” released a couple of weeks ago, and is already appearing on the Billboard chart.

With a chorus like “You’re gonna see me through it” – it also serves as a great reminder that God can see us through any trial.

Catchy, isn’t it?

I don’t know about you, but I love this song!

I know, I know, I’ve said that before about other songs.

But . . .

You knew a “but” was coming, didn’t you?

This song has a piano intro that I love, singable lyrics, and a “hook” in the chorus that makes it unforgettable.

Over one million people have viewed the video so far.

I’d say it’s going to be a hit – at least at the top of my own Christian music chart!

Brandon Heath in the Bahamas – We Were There!

My first introduction to Brandon Heath was in the Bahamas when we were attending a marriage retreat with friends.

Brandon Heath - See Me Through It

He’s an amazing artist, and his songs are so up-lifting.

What I really like is that they tell a story.

Brandon’s lyrics speak to what’s going on in our culture and how to live the Christian life when the world around us is falling apart.

Remember, whatever is going on in your life, you can turn to Him.

Like the Bible says and the song reminds us, “He will see you through it.”

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Is God First In Your Life?

is God first in your life

Admittedly, there are days when I don’t spend time with God.

Sometimes there are appointments to get to or other pressing demands that take up the day.

Those aren’t excuses, mind you, and I feel disappointed in myself later.

I want to have time with God every day.

For me, that means reading the Bible and praying, but sometimes it just doesn’t happen.

That’s on me.

Has that happened to you, too?

While I do talk to God every day, I want less distractions and more devoted time to reading my Bible.

For awhile there, I was up around 4:30am in my office.

I appreciated the stillness.

Just me and God in my thoughts.

Considering all of the amazing blessings He has given me and His presence during some of the most difficult times in my life, I want to do better.

After all, giving Him all the glory is why we’re here.

The Lord Before Me

Our Sovereign God knows everything about us – including our busy schedules.

A “skip” here and there isn’t a big deal, but Satan knows how to use distractions to keep us away from our Bible studies.

With that in mind, here’s a verse to treasure from Psalm 16:8.

In the Psalm, David issues a declaration that he will make God first in his life.

I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. – Psalm 16:8, (NASB).

God First

The first thing I see after lifting our window shades in the morning is a sunrise.

God first

So beautiful.

I wake up and see beauty like this and it reminds me that, while I was sleeping, God was “up” the entire time and on His throne.

The bad things that are happening in our world right now – God has got this!

I found a great poem that I believe attests to this.

It’s by an anonymous Christian poet.

If I had to pick, I think the second stanza is my favorite.

God will not go back on His promises to save His faithful people.

“God hath made His saints victorious.

Sin and death shall not prevail.”

Now those are words we can count on for eternity!

Praise the Lord, Ye Heavens, Adore Him

Praise the Lord: ye heavens, adore Him;
Praise Him, angels in the height.
Sun and moon, rejoice before Him;
Praise Him, all ye stars of light.
Praise the Lord, for He hath spoken;
Worlds His mighty voice obeyed.
Laws which never shall be broken
For their guidance He hath made.

Praise the Lord, for He is glorious;
Never shall His promise fail.
God hath made His saints victorious;
Sin and death shall not prevail.
Praise the God of our salvation;
Hosts on high, His power proclaim.
Heaven and earth and all creation,
Laud and magnify His Name.

Worship, honor, glory, blessing,
Lord, we offer unto Thee.
Young and old, Thy praise expressing,
In glad homage bend the knee.
All the saints in heaven adore Thee;
We would bow before Thy throne.
As Thine angels serve before Thee,
So on earth Thy will be done.

Anonymous Christian Poetry
Public Domain

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God’s Delightful Creatures

January 18, 2022 Gracie

God’s Delightful Creatures

There’s exciting news around our house!

Meet “Ellie” – the newest addition to our family.

Granted, this isn’t like my usual blog posts, but she’s one of God’s delightful creatures and I couldn’t wait to share her photo.

We are so thankful she’s become a part of our family.

Our new girl is a Siberian Husky and a former show dog.

We like to think that we rescued her.

Her life as a former “beauty queen” was very different from what you might expect.

She spent a lot of time traveling, staying in hotel rooms in various towns, in her crate for many hours, and she didn’t have much play time.

Today, she is a happy and spoiled “companion” dog in our home.

sweet Ellie

She’s full of energy too.

For instance, we were sitting on the couch the other day and she leapt into our laps wagging her tail and wanting to be petted.

We love her so much.

Bonus: She gets along with our other Sibe perfectly.

delightful creatures

After losing our sweet Jazz a few months ago, Ellie is a blessing.

We’re thankful to God for bringing her to us – yet one more reason we delight in Him!

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Eyes on Him Not Them

January 11, 2022 Gracie

Keep Your Eyes On Him Not Them

Have you ever heard the expression, “Keep your eyes on Him, not them”?

That means us, Church!

Let’s face it: It’s hard.

fear-mongering

It’s very difficult at times to not get caught up in the bad news and fear-mongering coming from the mainstream media, or the rampant immorality and harmful content in the entertainment world.

There’s more.

protect the innocence of children

Even in school systems across the country, there are radical programs – all of which affect the next generation.

The downward spiral of family values is heartbreaking.

Lord, please make it stop.

How can any person, any school system, any agenda, think it’s okay to steal the innocence of children?

We can’t be alright with a world that encourages these things which ultimately represents hostility towards God and His design for the human race.

Thankfully, brave and concerned parents are speaking out against this.

There’s no quick fix.

The devil fights hard.

We’ve got to be ready.

How about a New Year’s resolution to pray more than ever before?

We need to pray to Jesus.

Not to His mother Mary nor any saint, nor any religious leader for that matter who takes our eyes off of our only Triune God who deserves our prayer and worship.

eyes on Him not them

We must keep our eyes on Him and His promises.

Whatever happens, we can’t let these upsetting changes “take over” our lives and stall us in our mission to keep praying for others, and help reach the lost for Christ.

There are many issues dividing our communities right now: abortion, gender identity, human sexuality, racial tensions, religious liberty, and education, among others. But the gospel offers a light to our path! The scriptures are full of good news about our inherent value as humans, from our mother’s womb all the way to natural death. And about how God has uniquely made men and women. And there’s good news about His design for marriage as a reflection of Christ and the church. We need to share it! As citizens, we need to be advocates for sound policy. But as we do so, we should always seek to be as bold and truthful as Jesus, and we should also always seek to be as loving in our approach. – Dobson Policy Center.

Are we ready?

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– Quotation from Dobson Policy Center. “An Important Resolution for 2022.”. January 6, 2022., para. 6. Accessed 10 January 10, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.drjamesdobson.org/news/important-resolution-2022

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