God is enough

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭73:26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This scripture was Livia's several years ago.  We wrote it out and put it beside her bed.  She had some fear and anxiety and she was going through some pain in her body.  It's amazing what prayer and focus and the Word of God can do.  

It was such a reminder that God understands our pain and our emotion.  That He wants to be our strength and to be all that we need.  We really do have to allow our hearts and minds to get there and trust him.

I was reminded of this video when we read the scripture this morning: 

 https://youtu.be/-i8vsMPFm78    

God is enough. 

Examine yourself not others!!!

“For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”

‭‭James‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Have you ever been envious of someone to the point of not liking them because of it?  Have you ever been in a season where everything is "about you"?  ....probably hard to know that you are doing that , but I'm sure the people around you could tell you when you are!   Lol 

Man it's ugly. It's so not Christ like.  God doesn't just want us to love he requires we love , no matter what people have done to us or what the situation is.  

 Disorder is chaos. Have you been there? Yuck.  Ever thought maybe you are stirring up your own disorder and that it's not really others, but rather your response to them that is causing the chaos?   Take inventory today on YOU and how YOU respond and how YOU act and what YOU say instead of everyone else. Just try it for a day!!!!

And hey - give yourself a break from such heavy thinking and overload (lighten up!).....and  for Heaven's sake give someone else a break.  Unveiling others flaws is easy....but examining your own depths takes risk and vulnerability, but that is where true growth happens. 

Movement of God by Gina

ACTS 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

I did a study a while back about the evidence of a true movement of God. Of course the fruits of the Spirit  (Gal.5)  Love, Joy, Peace, Patience,  Kindness, Goodness , Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control are indicators of a life lived in Christ but a "movement" is something that is happening among people.   I love this list of things that are evidence of when God is moving and alive :

*Strong commitment to prayer

*Genuine reliance on Holy Spirit

*Sincere repentance and personal confession 

*Serious accountability 

*Deep desire to walk close with Christ 

*Generous givers

*Great emphasis on the Word of God

*Aware of all issues that impact the moral and spiritual life of community 

*Dramatic demonstration of reconciliation and restored relationships

*Strong families

*Crazy on fire heart for evangelism 

Each one of us shared this morning which one of these jumped out to us. Each of us chose a different one ...which was kind of cool!!! . Thank you Lord for the reminder of what it looks like in our lives when you are moving. 

 

Unashamed by Kadin

Kadin read some of Lacrea's book (a Christ follower who is a rap artist) last night and woke up this morning wanting to share.

He read about Lacrea's life, his testimony  of his young adult years and how he ended up in rehab after some pretty poor decisions and devastation.  It was there he started to read the Bible and found a new way of life...

After getting out he found those same things, those same temptations there to pull him back down and it was only the grace of God and His word that kept Lecrea on track. 

He shared how saying you are a "Christ follower" is easy to do in words but living it out day to day because you love Him NOT because there are rules to Christianity is quite another.   

Let us KNOW our God and LOVE our God and LIVE for our God.  

Choose who you will serve THIS DAY!! 

He Never Changes!!

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I was reading through my journal from 2015 and recognized a common thread ..... while what I wrote about then till now has changed - the truths written about who God is and my resolve to trust Him and lean into Him HAVE NOT.  He remains the same.  Steadfast.  Dependable.  Solid. I love that. 

Although He never changes , He changes everything. 

Indeed He does!  So ... This day I set out to embrace the change while leaning into  the amazing truth that He is the same and deserves my all. 

Perseverance

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

‭‭James‬ ‭1:2-4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It is so good to be back home with the kids. It's been a whirlwind 8 days of coming and going for Tim and I and now we get to settle into some homecoming activities this weekend. Ahhh.....

This scripture reminds us this morning that this life is short (we told Devin ..."high school is a blip on the radar!" ) and there are many lessons we can learn or we can skip over without even realizing it.   How much better to let our faith bring us to more and more maturity and understanding of the purpose of our life.  When we embrace the process of trials they refine us and change us and we settle into a contentment and peace that comes from only Him.  Lacking nothing. Amen! 

What is inside comes out!!!

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:19-20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Would you rather be fed dry bread crumbs or living water?  This was the question for us this morning after we read this scripture. 

We have the ability to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in you or to lean into our own understanding.  In these moments we have a choice.  Yield or not ?

We offer dry bread crumbs in our own efforts and living water with our words and actions when we are IN Him. 

Let it be Lord - that He takes the lead!!

Tim and I are headed out to meet some friends in ministry in CA today!  We will keep you updated on our adventure!!

Grateful for the opportunity to come home this weekend and connect with these beautiful human beings !!!!