Thanksgiving Friday!

Today is a day of praise elevation and joy! God is doing some great things, and I am thankful for how He is orchestrating my life! It's so good to be alive and full of the joy of the Lord!

I thought I'd switch things up this week and post some of my fave praise and thanksgiving songs, so we can lift up a joyful noise to the Lord!

Enjoy!

I'm Thankful!

I'm so grateful the Lord is always with me!



I will bless the Lord at all times, and I will continuously praise His name!



Verse of the Day: Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Isaiah 12:5

Testimony Thursday

Last night, my church had a wonderful service of praise and testimony before the Lord. We shared what God had been speaking to us and how we had seen Him moving in our lives. It was quite encouraging. So, today I thought I should share a testimony with you.

God has really been keeping me and my family. As some of you know, my father passed away this past September. Since his passing I have missed my father every single day. But, you know what? God has blessed me to walk with happiness and joy.

I know that my father is safe and having an awesome time in heaven. But that knowledge alone is not what is keeping me full of joy. God has sent supernatural strength and encouragement to me. He has eased my fears, comforted my heart, and buoyed my spirit.

There was a time where I thought I would turn away from God if He allowed my father to die. Yet, I have drawn closer to God. In my time of weakness, I drew near to the Lord, and He gave me everything I needed. I simply reached out my hand, and the Lord grabbed me up in His arms.

I'm so blessed!

So, be encouraged today. Maybe your heart is heavy or you are experiencing sorrow and loss. Choose to come close to your Heavenly Father and watch how He comforts you and fills you with His peace! I am a witness that the Lord is a present help in the day of trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

I'm sure you have a testimony too. Share with a friend what the Lord is doing in your life. Encourage someone with how God is blessing you. Take some time to brag on your Father today!

Verse of the Day: My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. Psalm 34:2

Living United

So, yesterday America voted, and in addition to re-electing our President, we put and kept a bunch of other folks in leadership positions for our country. One thing that stands out to me is our glaring need for unity. Too many of us are screaming at each other, creating division, refusing to compromise, and keeping our nation from progressing.

The Bible exhorts us to work to stay united in the Spirit. As believers, there should be no division. No one should find the Body of Christ bickering, fighting, or working against each other. Sadly, the same kind of division that exists in our country is reflected in our churches.

Yet, God wants us to live in unity. He wants us to work together with each other, not against each other. He wants us to live harmoniously using all our different talents, views, and gifts to promote His Kingdom on earth.

In order to be united, we have to remember that our ministry is not about us. Everything we do is for God's glory. Whatever we do should line up with His word and His will. If we can't agree, we have to find a way to move forward without creating division.

When the apostles' began reaching out to the Gentiles, there were questions concerning whether men could eat unclean foods or had to be circumcised. Instead of fighting about things, they waited to hear from God. When God sent His word, they complied and were able to bring many people into God's Kingdom as a result. (Acts 11)

Division and strife only drive people away. As God's children, we are responsible to draw people to the Lord, not push them away.

Today, consider your individual walk and your ministry. Are your actions creating division? Are you working to be united with your brothers and sisters in Christ? Let's all make sure we are striving to be united in our walk with the Lord.

Verse of the Day: Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1

Get God's Instructions First

In walking with the Lord, it is always important to keep our ears tuned to hear His voice and instructions for our journey. He has blessed us with the ability to come straight to His throne with any question, problem, or conversation we want. And He responds to us with His wisdom! We should take advantage of our privilege.

Too often, though, we take it upon ourselves to make decisions arbitrarily. We go through our own decision-making process without seeking the Lord's infinite wisdom. Many times our decisions lead us down the wrong roads.

When armies came to attack Judah, Jehoshaphat went into fasting and prayer with the nation. He chose to seek God's wisdom before making a move. God instructed Jehoshaphat to stand still. As Judah lifted up songs of praise, God Himself sent forth armies to fight for Judah that killed every single one of their enemies. (2 Chronicles 20)

What might have happened if Jehoshaphat decided on his own to go out and fight? What if he had chosen instead to surrender? Yet, the king saw the miraculous power of God on display just because he chose to stop and ask God what to do.

Today, make the choice to stop and ask God what to do. When you come up to a decision, don't go into your normal routine of rationalizing, strategizing, or planning on your own. Take a moment to consult the Lord.

You just may see some of God's miraculous moves take place in your life.

Verse of the Day: Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. 2 Chronicles 20:15b

God's Doing a New Thing!

Today begins a week of prayerful expectation for me. God is doing new things, and I am excited about what He is doing!

In God's Word we have numerous examples of God doing new things with His people. What I love about the Lord is that He always finds new ways to prove His power, might, and sovereignty.

He chose to bless Abraham with his promised heir long after Sarah was past childbearing age. He led Israel out of bondage by splitting apart an entire sea! The Lord brought them into the Promised Land by having their shouts of praise crumble walls that were wide enough for houses to be built within!

God did something new when He caused  fire to come down to consume Elijah's sacrifice in the face of the evil priests of the idol Baal. God showed His strength and power through His judge Samson who was able to carry city gates on his back.

The Lord did something new when He performed the miraculous conception of Jesus in the womb of the virgin Mary. The entire life of Jesus accentuated that God was doing a new thing: the sick were healed, demons were driven out, people were restored, and the Kingdom of God was preached to those who had never heard about it.

Our God loves to do new things.

What new thing is the Lord doing in your life? Don't allow the unfamiliarity of something new to cause you to miss out on how God's trying to bless you! Let the Lord have His way any way He sees fit. Whatever He tells you to do, wherever He tells you to go, make sure you follow! Your something new is at the end of your journey.

One thing is guaranteed: God's new thing is always better than the old thing.

Verse of the Day: Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19

Every Day is a Day of Thanksgiving

Today, I am more than just thankful. I am blessed, humbled, motivated, excited, and anticipating! God has done so many great things for me, he is doing some great things right now, and I can see great things ahead of me in my future! For that, He deserves all my praise!

Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. Suddenly we can find ourselves facing challenges and heartaches that we never saw coming. Yet, the Lord is always there in the midst, taking care of us and loving us through the hard times.

In the same token, we can suddenly find ourselves receiving blessings and walking through open doors that we never thought would come our way! God is an expert at showing up and showing out! He can bless and prosper us in ways we never imagined.

Every day is a day to give God thanks. Every day is an opportunity to really open our eyes and see just how good the Lord is. No matter what is happening or how things seem, God is always worthy of praise.

Today, take some time to praise the Lord. Take some time to give Him thanks. Spend some time before His throne in worship. Love on Him and show Him how much you appreciate His love.

Today is a gift to you from the Giver of Life. Don't let it pass without acknowledging Him.

Have a blessed weekend!

Verse of the Day: Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Psalm 145:2

Recognizing God's Authority

In my studies today, I looked at the story of the centurion who came to Jesus in Caperneum. The centurion came to Jesus asking Him to heal the soldier's sick servant. There are a couple of details in this story that struck me and challenged me.

First: The centurion, a man who commanded at least 60-100 men, came to visit Jesus for the healing of his servant. The man was important. He said himself that he had many servants to tend to his wants and needs. Yet the anguish and turmoil of one man caused him to come to the Lord for an answer. The centurion's heart was so loving for one of his servants that he went out of his way to seek out Jesus to get Him to heal one of his men.

Are our hearts tuned in to those around us who serve? There are numerous men and women working hard every day, so that we have a better quality of life. No, we may not have servants in our homes, but there are many people whose services we use on a daily basis. Are we paying attention to their needs? Are we tuned into what is going on with them? Have we gone out of our way to get them the Answer for their needs?

Second: The centurion knew who to go to for an answer to a problem he could not solve. Who knows how the centurion came to know of Jesus. Maybe he heard Jesus preach and witnessed Jesus ministering healing to the sick with his own eyes. Or maybe the centurion had heard stories from other witnesses who had experienced Jesus first hand.

Either way, the centurion knew without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus was the answer for his need. He came to the Lord confidant that He could handle the situation. In fact, the soldier was so confident that he said that all Jesus had to do was say the word, and he knew his servant would be healed. The centurion recognized the power of Christ, and he knew how the process of authority worked. Because of the great power of Jesus, all it would take was His word for something to come to pass.

Are we aware - I mean really aware of the power that our God has? Do we recognize and respect the authority that He wields? When we come before His throne are we truly confident in His ability to answer us?

Because of the centurion's faith, his servant was healed within the hour. Jesus said Himself that day that many outside of the tribe of Israel would sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob because of their faith in God. (Matthew 8:11) Do we possess this kind of faith?

Today, take some time to meditate on the authority and power that Jesus has. Then, pray for someone that serves you. Ask God to meet their need, heal their heart, and grant them peace. Your great faith could cause someone's dire situation to turn completely around for the good.

Verse of the Day: The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.  For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. Matthew 8:8-10