FREE!!

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32 NIV) Jesus is the TRUTH, and He came to set us FREE!! We are free... Free to be the people that He made us to be.... Free to worship Him whenever and however... Thank you Jesus!! Find your security in knowing Jesus, the TRUTH, the one who died to SET YOU FREE!

Only a Sandcastle

"In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly." (Psalm 5:3 NIV) Don't wait until your day has already gotten bad to come to God. Instead, when you first wake up, invite Him into your day! When you wake up, the day ahead of you seems so overwhelming and you feel like you just can't get through it on your own. News flash: YOU CAN'T. But if you change your mentality to "God and you together", it doesn't seem half as hard. We are weak, but He is STRONG!! What seems like a huge mountain to you, is only a sandcastle to God!! Invite Him into your day!!

His Ways

Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways." We will never understand God's ways - they are not like ours! Even when you grow super close to God, His ways will still be a mystery to you!! God doesn't do things that make the most sense to us - He does them His own way!! Instead of trying to figure out why He does what He does, focus on His goodness!! Although we will never be able to fathom His ways, we can taste and see that He is good!! Focus on God's goodness today!!

Wherever You Go

Genesis 28:15 "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Wherever you go, God will watch over you and He will be with you! He's not going to leave you until He has fulfilled His promises!! Wherever you are right now, don't get discouraged - even though it might be hard, God has a plan for a future and hope for you. When you read His word, you will find so many promises to you. He will fulfill them ALL!! If in any area of your life you feel stuck or hurting, pray and trust in God! He promises to bring you out of it!!

Momentary Troubles

"Therefore do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." - 1 Corinthians 4:16-17

Don't lose heart! Even though life is so hard, if you ask God, He will help you cope will everything that comes your way! And keep your eyes on heaven! Your life is just a blink of an eye, but heaven is forever and ever! And every situation and momentary trouble just bring you closer and closer to heaven!! He goes before us and with us everyday - keep yourself focused on Him!!

Rejoicing in Today!

Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." God has this day planned for you, and he is so excited for you to wake up!! He made this day!! Don't wake up grumpy and mad that today is today - lets rejoice and be glad in EVERYDAY! No matter what happens today, be thankful!! Today is going to be a great day! :)

Dependent

"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 NIV)

What The World Teaches: Dependency on someone else is a sign of immaturity. When you can completely depend on yourself, you are mature.

What God Teaches: Dependency on God and God alone is the biggest sign of maturity. When you completely depend on yourself, you are immature and sinning comes easier.

He is with us. He is our God. He will strengthen us. He will help us. He will hold us tight with his righteous hand. You can't do it alone!! When God designed the world, he did not create us to run our lives alone - he create us to be God-dependent!! Come to Him today... Don't try to do it alone!

Trusting in His Love

Psalm 52:8 "But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever." Trust in His love always... It's the only love that will never fail you! Keep your attention on Him all the time and don't ever loose sight of His love for you!!

From Trials to Thanksgiving

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6 NIV) Turn your trials into thanksgiving. It's so easy to let hard times and situations make you mad at God, but we shouldn't let that happen. Instead, we should thank God for whatever situation... Although you may not feel thankful at the moment, thanking God can change your heart drastically!! Being thankful takes the focus off of you, cancels your pity party, and places the spotlight on God! Are you having a hard time with something? Thank God for your trials.

Time

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me." (Micah 7:7 NIV) Wait patiently, and watch for God. Although our lives are usually run by time and tasks, God is NOT BOUND BY TIME! The things that He does, don't happen in our timing, either!! We have to learn to master time, or it will begin to master us - today, focus on God, who lives in timelessness!! Don't be a slave to your time!!

In Every Moment

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV) God speaks to us continually, through the things around us! Sometimes he uses words, but usually he will speak to us through loved ones, and through his creation! In fact, you will be able to find him in every single moment when you have eyes that see and ears that hear. When you seek God with all your heart, you WILL find him in every moment! God, please give us eyes to see you and ears to hear you, so that we can find you in every moment!!

Protection = Praise

"But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you." (Psalm 5:11 NIV) "God is the firm foundation on which you can dance and sing and celebrate his presence." That should be our top priority - not having a structured life, but to be constantly glorifying and enjoying Him!! He is protecting you!! Cling to Him - striving to keep everything under control is a waste of time! Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus today!! He is our refuge, so praise him!

Your Future

"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." (Ephesians 1:4 NIV) He chose you. And he has an amazing plan for your life! Don't get ahead of God though - things need to happen in his timing, not yours. Just trust that His plans are to prosper you and not to harm you - if you know that, you can relax! He's got it all under control!! Let your main focus be on God, and not trying to figure out your future!! I can tell you from experience that our plans are not His plans! Don't let yourself think you have your future all figured out... You don't!! Only God knows!!

A Cheerful Heart

"A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." (Proverbs 17:22 NIV) Just laugh! Sometimes you need to relax, and not take yourself or your circumstances so seriously! We spend so much time worrying about things that we can do nothing about! Just give them to God and laugh a little!! Laughing is so good for you - spiritually, physically, and mentally... And it lightens your load!! Don't miss the Joy of His presence by carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders!! Laugh today!!

Where You've Been and Where You're Headed

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8 NIV)

God has a totally different path cut out for each one of us. For example: Say you had a friend who grew up in an abusive family, and had lots of hard things happen to her, and that made her come to Christ. But you, on the other hand, grew up in a Christian home and you saw how amazing God was in the people around you, so you decided to come to Christ.

Neither one of those situations is a better way. Even though growing up in an abusive family seems bad, maybe God would want to use her because of that in her ministry. See how both situations are completely different, but they are both part of God's plan?

No matter what path God has set out for each of us, He requires the same thing from all of us while we walk down it: to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Him!! If you don't know where you're headed in your life, do those things - you'll find out eventually!!

Alive and Unseen

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV) This world is so crazy and overstimulated that in order to focus on an unseen God, you have to step away from the craziness for a while. It's so easy to fill up your schedule and not have a moment to spare.... But try something today: no matter how busy you are or what you have going on, focus your attention on Him. Spend some time with Him before you do anything. Then all throughout the day look for glimpses of Him in His creation, in the people around you, and in your situations. Every small moment you have with nothing going on, talk to Him. Look for him today - God is never far!!

RESCUED: Out of the Water

"The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." (Jeremiah 31:3 NIV) God has loved us with an everlasting love for so much longer than we could even fathom. And when the time was right, he showed himself to us. He lifted us out of that freezing cold sea of death and despair and set us each on a firm foundation. Praise God!! For so long we swam in that sea trying to stay alive - searching for love and hoping for hope. Until our life boat, Jesus Christ came around and snatched us out of the water!! Thank you Jesus for putting me on a firm foundation!

Divine Joy

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy..."(Galatians 5:22a NIV) Do you have joy? I'm not talking about happiness that you get from worldly things - I'm talking about divine joy, that only comes from God. God wants to plant in your heart, a fountain of joy that overflows into the lives around you! All you have to do is focus on God... Let his joy fill you up today!!!

Today.... How will it be?

We can get through each day one of two ways.

The first way: "And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel." (1 Corinthians 10:10 NIV)

The second way: "to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." (Luke 1:79 NIV)

Either you can grumble and complain and make your day horrible, or you can pick up your feet and walk in the path of peace, shining your light for Jesus Christ!! There is only one thing that can determine if you have a "good day." ... YOU. You choose how it will be. Even if everything is going wrong, you can still choose to have an awesome day!! What are you choosing today?

Battle for Your Mind

"The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace." (Romans 8:6 NIV) There is a huge battle raging for your mind. Satan knows that if he gets your mind, your whole self will go down with it. But you aren't fighting against the enemy all by yourself - God is on our team!! Ask God today to control your mind.. And he will give you his amazing life and peace. If you are reading this, then you are a threat to Satan. He doesn't like anyone who is full of God's power and strength! Don't let your mind be governed by evil flesh... It will lead to death. Give your mind to God!

Continually

"Pray continually," (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV) Don't stop praying and being aware of His presence in your life. Don't try to get ahead of life and plan far out into the future - because that's when you begin to ignore God who sustains you every moment. Be aware of His strong grip holding onto you, and pray continually!

It Covers Us

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8 NIV) Be thankful for his love today... Because it covers all our sins. It is the bleach that takes our blood stained life and makes it clean again. With that thankfulness, love others with the same love he gives you! Love, forgiveness, and grace all go together! Thank you Jesus for your love!!!

Come To Him

"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." (Matthew 28:18 NIV) Even though Jesus has the power to fix every broken part of us, that's not what he does. He wants us to come to him with a teachable spirit and a desire to be helped! God already knows about every detail of you, more so than you even do, so he's the best one to get help from!!! Is there any parts of your life that are so broken? Come to God today, with thanksgiving and teachability, and ask him for help!! He's waiting!!

Are you worried?

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" (Luke 12:25, 26 NIV) Worrying doesn't do anything for you. And as some people might think that's it's just part of life, it is not. Worrying is a form of doubt or unbelief and it gives you the power instead of God. Who runs your life? Do you? If so, then yes, I would be worried too. But if the answer to that is God, then worrying is totally unnecessary. When you start to worry or feel anxious, give the situation to God. He will do one of two things: take care of the problem, or show you how to handle it. Don't worry, he's got it all under control.

This Little Light of Mine

"Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the LORD rises and appears over you." (Isaiah 60:2 NLT) This world is so full of darkness from the sin that has overtaken it. When our hearts changed, God poured his light into us so that we could reflect his Glory!! When people see us, they should be able to tell that there is something different, something good that they might want! Be a Jesus lighthouse today!! And don't ever let it be about you... Because its all about him!! Shine your light!!

Feeling empty? Idols and Satisfaction

"You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3 NIV) Anything you put before God in your life, is an idol - Food, sleep, a celebrity, Facebook, friends, clothes, a hobby, TV, fun, music, etc. etc. etc. A good way to find out is to look at what you spend your money on. Your heart is hooked to your wallet. DO NOT FOLLOW IN THE PATTERNS OF THIS FALLEN WORLD - the world teaches that you find satisfaction in earthly things. The only place you can find complete satisfaction, is in Jesus Christ. Without him, you will have a huge God-shaped hole in your heart that will cause you to feel extremely empty. Put God first in your life, and begin to examine your life for potential idols... Then GET THEM OUT!! Let your satisfaction be found in God alone!!

Your Problems in Perspective

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds," (James 1:2 NIV) Hard and challenging times are opportunities. Opportunities to trust God, and to grow closer to him. There is nothing we can't handle!! - we've got God beside us and the holy spirit inside us!! Next time you face a problem or challenge, instead of measuring it up against your strength (where it will always look like a giant), measure it against God's, whose strength makes the problem look like a tiny ant! Stay close to God and don't let your ant-like problem turn into Goliath! Put your troubles into perspective against His strength, not your own!!

Peace

"May the Master of Peace himself give you the gift of getting along with each other at all times, in all ways. May the Master be truly among you!" (2 Thessalonians 3:16 MSG) Let his peace replace your fears and worries. And as soon as your fears and worries are out, stay alert!!! They will try to creep back in! In what area of your life do you need peace today? Ask God for it and get ready for change!!

Just Like Him

"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2 NIV) If you have no idea what God wants you to be, but all you do know is that he wants you to be like him, then aim for that. How do you do that? By spending time in his word, learning his nature, talking to him, etc. Godliness doesn't come from anything you do or a list of rules - that's legalism. Don't get yourself caught up in that like that Pharisees did!! Don't let the rules of being a "typical Christian" get in your head - instead, find out for yourself who God is, and aim to be like him!! God, I want to learn to be just like you!!!

Perfectly Mapped Out

"As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord's word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him." (Psalm 18:30 NIV) God's way is perfect and his word is flawless. He maps out every single one of our days perfectly. He knows the problems we will face that will bring us back to him, the people that we will see who will encourage us, and the opportunities he will give us to do his work. He has it all planned out. Stay conscience of the Holy Spirit today letting God guide you step by step through the day. Don't let your mind get stuck in the mud of the fallen world... Keep your mind in heaven!!!