Discovering Best Life

Welcome to Discovering Best Life.  With all of the chaos going on in this country and in the world, finding time to just read what is going on with others is a change.  Encouraging stories, places of interest and just how to do life in a crazy world is a welcoming and sweet opportunity.  I hope you enjoy my blog.  As I continue to grow this website, more pages of interest will be added.  Thank you for visiting and I hope you enjoy your experience and please visit often!

Did you know?

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)  What does that even mean?  We can draw a lot from this one scripture.  Jesus was willing to come to this earth and our heavenly Father sacrificed His only son and in doing this he became poor.   He gave to those in need and helped all those around Him not thinking about himself.  That is hard.  I have caught myself many times having a poor attitude when I should be grateful for another day, another meal and how I can help others.  How can I give to others? When we can give to others we should think of it as a privilege.  God has blessed us with the ability to give even when we don’t have much.  We can give of our time, our talents, and also monetarily.  What is God calling You to do today?

Jesus gift . . .

of Hope! Joy! Peace! Love!   The hope of salvation and eternal life, our hope in Him will bring Joy and Peace and love.  How beautiful is his amazing grace and this gift gave so many years ago.  While we are celebrating this Christmas just stop and realize, wow!  God loves me so much he was willing to send His Son to this earth to live like man and to suffer and die so we can have Hope, Joy, Peace and Love if we let him.  “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” (Luke 2:10 NIV)  Great joy!.  Why would we ever not accept this gift from Jesus.

Let there be peace on earth . . .

And let it begin with me.  Let There Be Peace on Earth~The peace that was meant to be~with God as our Father~Brothers all are we~Let me walk with my brother~In perfect harmony.Let peace begin with me~Let this be the moment now.~With ev'ry step I take~Let this be my solemn vow To take each moment and live~Each moment in peace eternally~Let there be peace on earth~And let it begin with me.”  (Written in 1955 by Jill Jackson)  As we celebrate this week in Advent and get near Christmas, find new ways to share peace with others.  There are many ways we can do this, through donating to those in need, by sending a card or something special to those who are lonely or to just give a smile.  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14)  Peace is offered to those who accept Jesus.  

Peace . . . 

Peace is represented by the second purple candle of advent.  The foretold coming of Jesus' birth represents peace to the world.  As we celebrate the candle of peace during this advent season, may God’s peace be with You and enfold You.  Christ is the Prince of Peace and it is our mission during this season to spread peace to others.  Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  May you allow God’s peace and your unbelief be turned to faith.  

We need people . . . 

We need Christians who are willing to go out into all the world, ALL the world and tell others about the salvation of Christ and what he sacrificed for us.  There are those of us who are called to minister in Christian organizations but there should be those who are willing to go into the trenches and minister and teach others.  Teachers who are Christians willing to go into the public school setting and teach our children.  Having a heart for children, an attitude of kindness and love is what they need and although we cannot teach God’s Word we can live it.  In all types of jobs, factories, body shops, insurance companies, professional sports, retail industry, music industry and every type of job and just be Jesus.  So whether our jobs are within a Christian organization, in public education, in secular jobs we must be soldiers for Christ.    

God’s Judgment . . .

Judging others is something God warns against.  In Romans 2:1-3 we are told “You, therefore have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else . . . you are condemning yourself.  Matthew 7:1 also tells us that we should not judge or we will be judged.  That is pretty strong.  I can think of times, in my head I have judged others and do not realize it.  Reflecting on my own actions and thoughts helps me have a clean heart.  Psalms 51:10 says, “Create in my a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit in me.”  This scripture is a scripture we can pray when we are praying.  To clear out the cobwebs of judgment that give a negative and unkind attitude.  When we are kind to others, truly kind, souls may be won to Christ because another person may want what we have.  So the next time, you interact with others, take the challenge and just be kind and pretty soon it will become a habit.

There is a time for everything . . .

Ecclesiastes 3 has to be a favorite of mine.  We have always heard, there is a time to cry and a time to laugh, a time to be sad and a time to dance, which comes from this chapter.  It is just relaxing to read.  “There is a time for everything, and everything on earth has its special season.” (3:1)  I have spent time reading this book a couple of times, yet I am reminded of some very significant scripture we need to really pay attention to.  “He does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what he is doing.” (3:11b)  God has everything planned out and just in time.  I remember having conversations with one of my children and they were frustrated, impatient that God had not put that person in their life.  Feeling lonely and abandoned by God, it was revealed in God’s time his plan.  It turned out perfectly amazing.  I am not saying life is perfect but looking back God was allowing everything to fall into place.  God’s timing is perfect!  Don’t rush him.  I remember sitting at my kitchen table at a previous home we rented, very frustrated and feeling like we would never have our own house.  This house was an old farm house with many problems and I was feeling very defeated but You God had the perfect house for us and in his time.  I remember talking to God about it and it probably wasn’t a long time after that, our current house went up for sale and here we sit 21  years later.  It worked out perfectly.  God knew!  If we trust in Him he does things in his time.  

Find a Balance . . .⚖️

While reading Chapter 4 of Ecclesiastes and considering what the chapter is about,  the question “is it better to be dead?” is quite overwhelming. There is so much sadness and sin here on this earth finding encouragement in God’s Word gives us a guide to life.  There is no clear indication to the author of Ecclesiastes but the message seems quite clear.  There is sadness and people are treated badly and they do not have comfort.  I just think of the world today and how there are so many cruel people and it seems that “cruel people had all the power”, (4:1b) can refer to our country and world today just as it was in the days of the Old Testament.  There is a struggle between working so hard that there is no time for family and friends and being lazy and not working.  Having balance between these two extremes is necessary for happiness.  I look around and see those who work so hard there is so little time for family and no time for God.  Our family and friends give us encouragement and support.  This chapter talks about the importance of two people being better one and it does make so much sense.  As this chapter ends we can see the author states that power and fame is useless and one is never content unless it is used to tell others about God.    We can learn so much and gain so much wisdom from the Books of the Old Testament and spending time in God’s Word is encouraging and refreshing.  Find a balance with God at the center.

Chasing the wind . . . 

If you have not read Ecclesiastes it is a Book in the Bible that teaches us much.  Ecclesiastes 5 is a chapter we all need to meditate on.  We should not make promises we don’t know if we can keep, don’t cheat people, money cannot buy happiness and we should enjoy our work.  That is it in a nutshell but there is so much more to this chapter.  I find myself very engaged in the reading of this chapter and without analyzing each verse I will focus on each part of the fifth chapter.  Working backwards and starting with 5:18-20 (NCV) “I have seen what is best for people here on earth. They should eat and drink and enjoy their work, because the life God has given them on earth is short. God gives some people the ability to enjoy the wealth and property he gives them, as well as the ability to accept their state in life and enjoy their work. They do not worry about how short life is, because God keeps them busy with what they love to do.”  Wow!  So what if our job is just that?  We work because we have to.  Refer back to the part of this scripture “accept their state in life and enjoy their work.”  So thinking about this scripture and as a Christian - a born again believer in God - why not take a different approach to the job.  Learn all you can about being the best you can be and change your entire attitude about it.  Getting up with a positive attitude and self-care is so important to our outlook, so get going!  That doesn’t mean that is the job God will have you in forever, it means do your best, learn more about the job and get encouraged whether it is intrinsically motivated or extrinsically motivated.  Do it! 

Hiding Place . . .⛈️

Throughout history individuals have relied on God for strength.  We think of Corrie Ten Boom and the strength she must have gotten from our Heavenly Father as she and her sister were able to sneak Bibles past guards and witness to others.  Louis Zamperini, an evangelist and WWII Veteran and POW found God.  You can watch his story on Pureflix “Unbroken: Path to Redemption.”  When we are struggling in difficult times and many are happening in this world right now, it is sad that it takes these times to turn to God.  Serving God daily and relying on him for strength and guidance is just as important in our daily lives as it is in times of trouble.  With the hurricane that ravished Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia we see so many who have relied on God for their strength and so many people that God is working through to bring aid to those who have pretty much lost everything.  Let’s be Jesus to others and not forget Him in good times and bad.  Let him direct our lives.

Where to start?  🍂

Whether you are a new Christian or one who is passionate about being everything that God wants for you/me.  Where do we start?  Start with prayer and reading the scriptures.  Start by supporting your local church or homeless shelter.  Start by smiling at someone who seems to need a smile and start by being Jesus to those You come into contact with. Get involved in disaster relief or find an organization that supports those in need.  We can make a difference and when others see Jesus in us, they will also come to know him as their personal Savior.    In Matthew 28:19-20 we read, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  We need to be passionate about serving our God, our Creator, our Savior. 

Leaving a mark . . .

In this world is something so many have done over the years.  In the next few posts I will be focusing on some of those great evangelists and Christians who still have an impact on people today.  Charles Spurgeon was a Baptist preacher and influenced people for Christ.  Although Spurgeon passed away at the age of 57 his influence as a Christian did not die with him.  Even when Spurgeon was ill before his death he was able to write about 180 pages of a commentary.  Spurgeon also wrote several books and we find many quotes from his writings and preachings in research.  A quote by Spurgeon reflects on how we should live our lives, “It’s not how much we have but how much we enjoy that makes us happy.”  We seem to get caught in what we don’t have or if I had this or that I’d be happier.  One  thing I have learned is that being grateful and happy each day is necessary to impact others for Christ. 

Why do we do it?

Just thinking today about our economy, the financial state of so many and I beat myself up over wasting money or misusing it.  Most people do it and then reflect on why.  This goes back to my entire adult life.  We end up with no excess funds for emergencies and then usually get annoyed with others because in reality we should be pointing the finger at ourselves.  We know that when we are pointing it at someone else there are always three pointing back at ourselves.  Why did we just spend $150 to take our family out to eat if we have no money in our savings, why did we just spend $5,000 on a vacation when we have no money in our savings, why did we just buy a new wardrobe and now we don’t have any money.  None of those are necessities and we all do it.  Saving for a rainy day is something we should all do.  It takes discipline and commitment.  Sitting here I am thinking of the ridiculous amount of money that has been wasted over the years and how different I could live if we had not done that.  So planning, executing and then reflecting can give us more stability when we have those bumps in the road and maybe we won’t have so many. 

What if there is no tomorrow . . . 

For any of us.  I think about life and the busyness of it and we get caught up in work, kids, social events and so much more but leave God out of the mix.  Sure we believe there is a God but right now he doesn’t really fit into my life.  When I’m older and have time, I’ll give him more time.  It doesn’t work like that.  Over the past few years I have become more and more aware of those who have experienced sudden death whether heart attacks, accidents or things like COVID, cancer, or other diseases that have taken people's lives too young.  We should always be ready.  What I mean by be ready is our hearts need to be right with Jesus.  Take time right now to ask Him to come into your life and make Him Lord of Your life.  Keep Him at the center, find a church family that will help you grow in your faith.  We do not know even what the next minute holds.  Don’t put it off until another time, there may not be another time.

Be careful . . .

As a long-time teacher, coach, advisor I have tried to prepare young people with leadership skills.  To model things in front of them and then allow them to do the leading.  I have never seen a basketball or football coach go out and play a game with their team.  They model and prepare the athletes for that night and then the players do their best. I know that is a simple basic explanation but if you are in that position with long people, practice, prepare then they will be ready.   We have several organizations whether it is teams or clubs that promote leadership.  It is easy to just do it for them but we teach them and then they are able to grow in their leadership skills.  In the scripture we read how leaders should act.  Leaders need to not just tell people what to do but to put themselves in positions of servanthood.  I think of young people teaching or teaching a new skill to their peers and giving them an opportunity to work one on one with younger ones or those who might be struggling to learn a new skill.  Teaching our young people that we do not do things out of selfishness and value others over ourselves. 

Do we spend enough time . . .

in prayer.  Billy Graham was asked if he had any regrets in life, he said yes. He wished he had spent more time praying and studying the Bible, and less time traveling and taking speaking engagements. He also said that he wished he had spent more time telling the Lord how much he loved Him. (I do not know if this is a direct quote or paraphrase).  When a man who has devoted his whole life to serving Jesus wished he had prayed more we should take notice.  As a Christian we can learn a lot from those individuals who have reflected on their lives.  The one thing about prayer as Billy Graham also said, “Whether prayer changes our situation or not, one thing is certain: Prayer will change us!”  My relationship with my Heavenly Father is much more meaningful when my prayer life is good.  We should pray when we wake, when we lie down, when we are driving and without ceasing.  We read in I Thessalonians 5:16-17 that we should “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Reading . . .

Although I don’t love to read, it broadens my perspective on life.  I am reading a devotional book by Joni Erickson Tada and her daily insight is amazing.  She shares her struggles with times when she has felt unworthy, or had a “poor me” attitude but as she connects with our Jesus she is reminded that he has blessed her life despite her paralysis and continues to speak and write and serve God.  We are all going to have those days of doubt and self-pity but pull yourself out of it, ask God to reveal to You his love every day and he will restore You.  God is good.  John 4:16 We read that “God is love.”  and we can daily ask Him to reveal his love to us. 

Be an encourager . . .

Today and many days I like to listen to David Jeremiah sermons.  His messages speak to me on a deeper level.  In his message it emphasized the importance of being an encourager.  We are called to edify one another, to lift each other up.  We need to build up people and encourage them.  Many times people have mastered the art of tearing down but not building up.  I personally have not counted them, but encouragement or the translated word into encouragement, edify, lift up, is used around 80 times in the Bible.  It is a crucial part of our Christian walk.  We can do this anytime.  We can encourage our families, our neighbors and yes even our enemies.  I Thessalonians 5:11 uses the word “edify” which means to encourage or lift up.  “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”  (KJV)

Positive attitudes . . .

As a Christian it is important to be positive, stay positive and also know we can lean on our Lord and Savior.  As I was scrolling through social media today, as I often have seen, there was a post that read “Journal for 15 minutes. Go outside to get some fresh air. Wash your sheets. Tell someone you love them. Make your favorite tea. Take a long shower. Think good thoughts. Play your favorite song.”  These are great but as a Christian the first thing we should do is thank God for another day.  I love the scripture “This is the day the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad.”  (Psalms 118:24)  It also doesn’t take long to sit down and read a scripture in the Bible, study it and have quiet time with Jesus.  Sing praises and my favorite time is when I am alone in the car.  As we go through our daily walk, being positive is important but do not leave out Jesus!  Have a beautiful day!

Don’t ignore God’s nudge . . .

I am reading a devotional written by Joni Eareckson Tada (I read one each day from her book, “Finding God in Hidden Places”) and she had an experience that God was nudging her to approach a women and invite her to church and a speaking event she was going to.  She did not but mentioned the nudge to a friend who shortly after also encountered the women and so she invited her and her husband.  What a blessing or almost a missed blessing when they did come and accepted Christ into their lives.  How many times have we done it, almost or missed a blessing.  Reading devotionals, scripture, and listening to speakers/evangelists can grow our faith but we need to spend time in prayer and quiet time listening to him.  One of my favorites is to go out on my back porch to sit and read some devotionals and just thank God for the day is a blessing.  As I sit in the amazing presence of God and watch the breeze blow through the trees I am reminded that each day is a blessing and even if it is a few minutes taking that time thanking God for the day can bring us joy.

Where two or more . . .

"Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for,
it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." Matthew 18:19 

One thing that I try to do is to write down or pray for someone when I tell them I will.  God will hear us if we have a relationship with him.  Clearing our hearts before we pray.  God does answer prayers.  He raised Jesus from the dead.  He healed many in front of others but he has also healed others today that maybe we do not hear as much about.  We answer prayers of sickness, financial, emotional, relational but sometimes we need to take action as well, if possible.  The Lord’s Prayer is an example of how we should pray.  We give God praise, then ask for forgiveness of our sins and that we would forgive others.  I usually have a prayer that is represented by the acronym J.O.Y  Jesus and Others and You.  After clearing my heart and asking for forgiveness I pray for others and then myself and my family.  This is how we should pray.

A prayer . . .

Ephesians 3:17-18  “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,”

A friend sent me this scripture this morning.  It is a great comfort.  This scripture is a prayer for the Ephesians.  Paul wanted them to know how vast God’s love is.  Right now, as many are, I am going through some trying circumstances but I know that because of God’s amazing love I “may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,”  in that I will see just how great Christ’s love is for us.  If you might be going through some challenges, I pray that this can give comfort that God loves us so much our faith can get us through.

Do not follow people . . .

One of our biggest stumbling blocks in life can be when we follow people instead of God.  There are many big name pastors and even just our own pastors or Christians in our life that can be a stumbling block for us.  We had an amazing pastor at our church for more than 27 years.  He had a heart for Jesus and due to circumstances beyond his control he had to retire.  This was very upsetting and sad for our church, however we remain strong in our faith and those very few that may have left due to this I pray were guided by God and not by man.  The man in the pulpit is not “God” but a servant of God as we are and his role is to deliver God’s message.  Many times when a pastor makes a bad choice or falls away congregants who had their faith in the many lose faith in Jesus.  Study your Bible, pray, spend time with God and he will guide your path, not man.  God shares with us that when we worship many it is idolatry.  In fact that is one of the ten commandments.  As You go to church the next time, do you worship God? or the pastor?  

Difficult times . . .

God sure does allow us to experience some difficult times yet sometimes when I am going through mine he puts another one in front of me that someone else is experiencing that seems bigger.  He does this sometimes to cause our faith to grow.  Each morning I wake up with a thank You to God for waking me up and proclaiming “this is the day the Lord hath made, I will rejoice and be glad.”  A cup of green matcha hot tea and reading a chapter from the Psalms.  At this point I make sure that I have a list of what I need to do for the day and it includes writing, reading and praying.  After listening to David Jeremiah one day and his experience with non-hodgkins lymphoma, he said even though I could not do what I normally do and am doing I could write, read scripture and pray - those may not have been his exact words but in essence that was what he said.  I decided that is what I need to be doing each day.  I trust in God’s healing and guidance but I need to do something so I decided to write a 30-day devotional and hopefully that will be followed by many more.  These will be free to those who ask.  It is my plan to have the first one in the next fifteen to twenty days.  I will be sharing those here on discoveringbestlife.com

Reading the scriptures . . .

Gives us encouragement, guidance and allows us to develop a closer relationship with Christ.  Developing some regular habits of scripture reading is something I decided to start.  I remember hearing one time that Billy Graham always read a book in Psalms every morning so I thought that would be a good way to start my days.  In the evening I am reading through the Books in the Bible and usually a chapter at night.  I do not limit myself to one but it is a good place to begin.  At this point I have read through 35 of the 66 Books of the Bible.  Reading scripture along with prayer provides us with a strong foundation and allows us to grow in our faith.  

Today’s scripture . . .

Was I Corinthians 13.  That is the “love” chapter in the Bible.  Paul uses the word “love” nine times in this chapter.  The scripture is often used in wedding ceremonies and describes what Godly love is about.  When reading this chapter, you can just feel the love that God sends through Paul’s words.  I may know and understand but without love, it’s nothing.  Take a few minutes to just read and envelop the words he uses.  

Why do we not believe?

One of my favorite preachers that I often watch on Youtube is David Jeremiah.  There are many but when I watch him I am amazed at how knowledgeable he is about the entire Bible.  One of the sermons I listened to recently was on the prophecies in the old testament that came true but of course they all have that have come to pass.  In Isaiah 9:6, that is about 600 years before Jesus birth, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace".  Over and over again the old testament refers to Jesus' birth.  In Micah and Matthew, Malachi and Mark, Zechariah and Matthew and the chances of the accuracy of those prophecies being accurate.  If we do not accept the scripture and the link between what was prophesied hundreds of years before, we are in denial.  Do you want to leave this earth taking the chance that You won’t make it to heaven.  In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me.”  We need to accept Jesus as our personal Saviour, spend time in the word and pray to have an intimate real relationship and to grow in our faith. 

Free will . . .

Is something our Father has given us.  In I Corinthians 10:23-24 (NCV) we read “We are allowed to do all things,” but not all things are good for us to do. “We are allowed to do all things,” but not all things help others grow stronger. Do not look out only for yourselves.  Look out for the good of others also.  In the (NIV) I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.

In our lives we can choose to do what we want, however, it may not help us or others grow stronger in their faith.  We should look out for the good of others.  We should seek the good for others.  So Paul is talking to the church here and basically saying, “don’t be selfish.”  Anytime we live at any extreme of the spectrum it is not in God’s will for us.  Many times we allow our minds to think, “I don’t care what anyone else thinks about what I am doing” but on the other hand we allow our minds to be put in a straightjacket and be afraid to do anything without approval.  The two are very opposite and living in these extreme situations takes away from God’s plan for our life.  When we find a church that we want to be our church family, be sure that neither extreme is a part of this worship.

Staying Positive in a Negative World?

How we respond to situations can affect our lives in a negative or positive way.  Walt Disney was someone who had to overcome many negative situations yet he responded in a positive way.  Walt Disney allegedly overcame abuse in his home environment and used his drawings to escape from the negative home life at a young age (although he lied about his age) to become an ambulance driver in WWI.  Despite difficult beginnings Walt Disney overcame many obstacles on the road to success and the Walt Disney empire.  We can find and read about many stories of those who overcame obstacles but those individuals did not let them get that down.  Many businesses came out of the depression in fact Disney was one of those that began or launched in 1929.  Pepperidge Farms began towards the end of the period of The Great Depression, said to have been started in 1937 which was started because of her son's allergies.  She took a negative and made it a positive and the results were positive.  The COVID, although there are many different views, resulted in families spending more time together, doing things outdoors, and of course the list goes on. Despite the challenges we go through, be careful not to react but respond.  The difference between the two has taken me years to figure out.  As a young teacher I tended to react rather than respond and as a veteran teacher I have learned to respond (with careful thought).  It is difficult to get to this point and there are times I react rather than respond but with a lot of adversity going on in this world and this country, responding to situations rather than reacting is the better choice.  Proverbs 18:13 “Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.”  

Are we thankful to wake up each morning?

Good morning!  Everyday I am thankful to wake up and for God’s blessing in my life.  His awesome and amazing grace gives us hope for each new day.  “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23  To wake up new and refreshed each morning is a blessing.  Each day we wake up we have been given a new opportunity to spread God’s love.  These opportunities should not be missed.  We may have only once to share God’s love with someone.  Make each day the best day it can be.  What can I do today?  This question should be at the forefront of our mind as we reach out to others.  

Putting our trust in him . . .

“Trust in the Lord with your whole heart . . .”  The word “trust” is in the Bible many times.  In fact, as I read the scriptures I am highlighting every instance of the word “trust”.  When we are going through challenging times, we need to just stop and give our worries to God and trust Him to be in control.  Doing a little research online I have found several inspiring stories of trust that individuals had to place in God’s hands.  There are things in this life we cannot do anything about yet God has complete control and he knows what he is doing.  A young lady who had to put her complete trust in God while in college and she had no money that she needed to pay some bills yet she gave it to God and it was that day God provided her with money through a refund she received.  Another instance of a lady who had been in an accident and ended up in the hospital and it was there they discovered breast cancer when doing x rays.  I love to read and share inspirational stories of hope.  These stories of trusting God are unending.  Today I am faced with a situation where I have to trust in God.  It is a bit of a challenge to not worry or think about it but trusting God our creator for he is the great healer is all we can do.  

I wonder . . .

Looking online for stories of healing is actually kind of difficult to find.  I am not sure why because I know it happens.  God’s healing power is awesome and sharing experiences of healing reaches those who do not know Jesus giving hope in a God they do not know.  These messages can bring countless individuals to Christ.  Be intentional in sharing your stories with others and proclaiming God’s healing power.  Today I claim healing because my God is a great God and is healing me today.  So don’t speak negative but speak life.  My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words.  Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them

and health to one’s whole body. Proverbs 4:20-22

Faith is believing . . .

Reading the scriptures, I have found the word "trust" multiple times in just a couple of books of the Bible.  Reading Psalms and the Galatians.  Faith and trust in God gives us a solid foundation as we walk through this life.  As I read, I am highlighting every time I find the word trust.  In our lives there are so many times it is difficulty to trust in Him.  He knows what is best.  God is also the great healer and believing in his healing power gives us hope and endurance in all we do.  

Life throws us some curveballs . . .

What would our life be without hills, mountains, valleys and straight paths?  How would we be able to learn from those if they did not occur.  If we didn’t have the valleys the mountains wouldn’t seem like anything.  We cannot always be on a mountain.  Social media does a good job of making us think everyone else's life is all rosie or on mountains.  We get consumed by others' life, posts and pictures and then think poorly of me or envying their life.  God has blessed each one of us with the life we are in and limiting our exposure to social media will allow us to focus more on Jesus.  We are told in the ten commandments to not covet or envy or want what someone else has yet that is one of the biggest flaws in social media.

God’s healing power . . .

In scripture we read how Jesus healed people that were indeed miracles.  Studying the scriptures is how we learn about God’s amazing grace, His healing power, and the promises He gave us.  This past week I have been given some scary information. Although we have a future in heaven, sometimes we feel like God’s not done with us yet here.   That is exactly how I feel at this point.  As I wait for test results and an appointment with the specialist I am feeling much anxiety but just breathing, writing, reading scripture helps me to breathe.   I am lifting all of this up to my heavenly Father in prayer and I know he has healing powers and will enjoy the little things. God is a miracle worker, a way maker.  

Be a Blessing . . .

The Bible has many verses on blessing others and being blessed.  With that in mind we know that being a blessing and blessing others should be an intricate part of our daily walk.  Hebrews 13:16 “And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”  After my husband passed away from an extended illness, “cancer”, at 57 I was trying to wrap my head around where to go from here.  My identity was being the wife, the mother of our three children and a teacher.  That was how I viewed myself but as I began thinking about what was next, I just wanted to be a blessing to others.  One of the first things I did was to prepare a meal for our local homeless shelter, feed a sports team in our community, donate to the Shriners and just give back in any way I can.  Moving forward what can I do for others to inspire, to encourage, to bless to be there.  Romans 12:13 “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need, practice hospitality.”  I believe this scripture not only means to share resources but also to share our time.  Listening is a gift we can all give.  

Hope for the hopeless . . .

It is so easy to forget those who really are hopeless but as I was reading today an article it made me realize we hear about the disasters going on and there are so many that step up and go to their aid but we forget about those in remote places, children who are orphans.  Can I do more is the question I ask myself.  There are many Christian organizations out there with outreach and who support so many causes and we can join them.  Many churches and individuals are very involved in Samaritan’s Purse/Operation Christmas Child and it is a great ministry to just see so many kids who open those boxes and are just so excited to have a toothbrush or a ball or a doll.  Can we do more?  We can do more.  I have been reading and learning about an organization called Hand of Hope and it has touched my heart.  According to the article, almost 7% of children in Uganda are orphans and that is 1.7 million kids.  We don’t always have to create a ministry. We can support a ministry but if there is a need we should create the ministry.  Find Your passion.  There is a lady in our church whose true calling is to support the Operation Christmas child and she organize our tiny little church and this year we did over 2000 boxes I believe, we are the drop off location for our area and she organizes and goes with a group of individuals to North Carolina to work at the packing center.  She has a heart for kids.  Go beyond and see what great things God can do.