Everyone has been wounded at one time or another. In the most serious cases, these experiences affect every aspect of our lives – especially personal relationships. Those who have been wounded deeply are truly victims. You didn’t ask for suffering. Still, sometimes we fall into the trap of labeling ourselves as a victim above everything else. This is exactly how Satan wants you to think – that you are helpless and hopeless. Don’t believe this lie. Look to Jesus to transform you from victim to victorious. How? Regain your dignity through the healing mercy of God. Your victory rests in…
Browsing: Devotional
Where do I go from here? I’d grown accustomed to my afternoons at the shelter. This particular night, we had volunteers come host improv for our residents. The game was called Dolphin Training. One person steps out of the room while everyone else collectively picks a specific space for them to stand or sit on. When the ‘dolphin’ comes back in for training they must find their spot. The farther they are from the right spot, the ‘dolphin trainers’ remain silent. The closer they get to the right spot, the ‘dolphin trainers’ give them a “ding”. I chose to sit this one…
Psalm 37:4 tells us to “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” But what does this verse really mean?
Who hasn’t been in that awkward situation where you send someone a message, it shows that they have ‘seen’ the message, but they don’t reply? ‘Hmm,’ you wonder. “Is this person ignoring me?” Or have you ever delayed responding to a message after you opened it, then had the person ask you why you didn’t respond? No doubt, it’s an uncomfortable feeling when someone doesn’t respond, especially when you know they’ve seen your message. O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer – Psalm 22:2 It’s one thing when a human being has seen your message…
Have you heard the saying “your attitude will determine your altitude?” I believe as Christians our attitudes can block our blessings. It can block us from growing. Our attitude in the wilderness showcases our faith and how much we trust God. We have to understand that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do in our lives. God does not change because we doubt Him. He is the same yesterday, today and forever more. He says, “heaven and earth may past away but my word will remain the same,” Matthew 24:25. When God…
When you rush things, you ruin things. God’s way is always the best way!
It’s been 7 painstaking months since my mother’s cervical cancer diagnosis. While it is something that helped me learn so much about myself as a child of God, I can’t deny the fact that it was the main reason I felt stuck. Stuck in my personal life, stuck in my career, stuck in my obligations and responsibilities, stuck in a life I honestly didn’t want to live. I had to be with my mother most of the time as she’s dependent on me to help her move around and do things (on days she’s able to get out of bed). People praise…
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15 As you get wrapped up in the business of living, it is so easy to forget these words. Easy to forget how brief our lives are.…
If you’re going through it… Just know there is power in prayer that even the devil can’t stop.
When I was about 10 years old, God planted a dream in my heart of traveling the world. He made that dream come true for me through my service to the U.S. Navy. But never in a million years did I think I’d have the opportunity to not just visit, but live in Africa. I was stationed in Djibouti, Africa (a place I never even knew existed) for a year and while I was there I got to see Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. I’m still amazed at what God did for me through Africa. And here are a few things…
When you surrender your whole life to God, it’s not about what you’ve lost, it’s about what you stand to gain!
Last week, I kept hearing a rustling sound behind me while I was jogging down a path. It wasn’t a windy day, and I was alone. Every time, I would hear the sound, I’d stop and look behind me. It took a few minutes for me to realize the rustling sound of the leaves was caused by the wind created by my jogging. The funniest thing about the whole situation was I felt like I was jogging all of 2mph, but somehow I was still making an impact. This is how our faith works. Matthew 17:20 says, “And Jesus said…
I asked my 84-year-old aunt what was one of her secrets to living a long life, and she said she prays about everything. I was reminded of 1Thessalonians 5:17 which says, “Pray without ceasing.” My aunt said that she can remember becoming stressed out about many things in the past, but that was not good for her. I was also reminded of Philippians 4:6 that instructs us to be anxious for nothing, but through all things with prayer and supplication, let our requests be made known to God.” The conversation with my aunt reminded me of all of the times…
Some people have demanding jobs which keeps them constantly on the move and having to remember various tasks. Often when I have many deadlines and tasks on my to-do list, I struggle to get through them all and so sometimes side-line and neglect some tasks. At work, I know that if I am assigned to do something, I need to get to it right away, otherwise I may forget and then it piles onto the bottom of my to-do list. God actively works 24/7 and He does not sleep. No matter how many times we call on Him, He never…
If you know me, then you know that I do not ride roller coasters. I don’t even like the small ones. Because I am not a fan of heights, I’m not going to put myself in a place where I will be suspended in mid-air just for fun. When my brother asked me to ride the Superman ride at Six Flags Great Adventure, you can guess the answer that I gave him. However, 10 minutes later I found myself standing in the line of over 100 people, waiting to get on the Superman ride. I could not believe that I…
Yesterday, one of my close “friend girls” (as my sister would say) and I went to an ice cream parlor. The server seemed to be a polite young man who looked like he was about 14 or 15 years old. After we finished eating our ice cream, we asked for the check. The amount owed was a little over $8.00. So, I gave the young man a $10.00 bill and waited for my change. He walked over to the tip jar and dropped my change into it. My friend said, “Well, he got his tip!” After we got outside, I…
The movie “Mom’s Night Out” delivers a powerful message, not just for mom’s, and portrays a significant truth we can all learn from. You are enough. These three words took me years to figure out and truly believe, yet I still encounter times when I get lost in the constant battle and have to block out all other voices and focus on His. God’s. We continually beat ourselves up on a daily basis until we are wore out and exhausted. It’s difficult not to compare ourselves to others, dismiss the lies and deceptions we hear and the feeling as if…
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. – Galatians 6:9
Everything that you’re going through, is preparing you for what you’ve been praying for.
I can’t count the amount of emails we receive from people who say they “don’t know how to pray”. Some simply have doubts that God even hears their prayers. Although there’s no “official” way to pray, I decided to share a few pointers that have changed my life tremendously! Pray without Ceasing- Just because God doesn’t answer your prayer when you feel like He should, doesn’t mean He’s not listening. Continue to pray, Continue to trust and have faith that God will never forsake you. He hears you and He will answer you. -1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray for Others- Did…
