Plans for the future

Psalm 138:8

The Lord will vindicate me;
    your love, Lord, endures forever—
    do not abandon the works of your hands.

Application: 

Every person dreams and makes plans for the future. Then they work hard to see those dreams and plans come true. But to make the most of life, we must include God’s plan in our plans.  He alone knows what is best for us; he alone can fulfill his purpose for us. As you make plans and dream dreams, talk with God about them.

Prayer:

Thank God for the best things of last year and a fresh start to this one.  

-Glory be to God


Shelly

His plans

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

God has good plans for us!

Application taken from the Life Application bible:

We're all encouraged by a leader who stirs us to move ahead. Someone who believes we can do the task he has given and who will be with us all the way. God is that kind of leader. He knows the future and His plans for us are good and full of hope. As long as God, who knows the future provides our agenda and goes with us as we fulfill His mission, we can have boundless hope. This does not mean we will be spared pain, suffering and hardship, but that God will see us through to a glorious conclusion.

This is one of my favorite verses of all time. To know that His plans are good, He doesn't want us to suffer, He is a just and loving father who does love His children so very much. And He is hope for the future. Hope that we will have eternal life with our loving father in heaven at His side! Kind of gets me excited, and all warm and fuzzy inside!

I pray that all my loved ones will come to know Christ and His promises for a better future. I pray that I will always understand that God is with me, even in my darkest hour, He is right beside me giving me strength to move on. I continue to pray for my friend Nancy and her children. I pray for me as I am about to start the Daniel fast and I know I will need all the strength I can get to not let me lack of will power do me in.


-Glory be to God


Shelly

Balance

My word for 2018. Balance.

Such a weird word to actually have to concentrate on. But I need to find a balance in my life. It seems I just stay on the go, and have lost time, no excuses here, to pray, to study His word. My spiritual health is on the decline I'm finding and I am not a happy person about that!

I need Jesus in my life daily! I hunger for His word, I thirst for his knowledge and guidance. So I pray for and will concentrate on balance!

I was listening to KLove the other day on my way to work and they said that everyone should have a theme song for the year. I found mine. I am totally in love with this song and speaks exactly what is on my heart!



Have you chosen your word or theme song of the year?

-Glory be to God


Shelly

Refreshment

Acts 3:19-20

Scripture:
Repent then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, tat times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that He may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you-even Jesus.

Application:
When we repent, God promises not only to wipe out our sins, but to bring spiritual refreshment. Repentance at first may seem painful because it is hard to give up certain sins. But God will you a better way.
See Hosea 6:3

Do you feel the need for refreshment? What do you need to do stop doing to experience this refreshing from God?

My take on all this....it is so hard to give up certain sins. We all lie to ourselves and say well these really aren't sins right? I mean, I'm not breaking the law, or anything of that nature. But anything that takes our focus off of God and is displeasing to Him is a sin. I honestly need to sit and think, and make a list of what I need to stop doing so I can refreshed in Him!

My prayer list tonight:
I'm asking God to shake things up in my life! I want to experience a fire for Him again, and while I love love love Him to the deepest, darkest depths of my soul, I have grown stagnant in my prayer and bible study life. I need to be awoken again. I am praying for my sweet friend Nancy and her walk with the Lord. I pray she grows a deeper relationship with Him and finds His will for her life. I pray for her children that they would find Jesus to be their Father and Savior! I pray for balance in my life, I need to prioritize things so I make more room for Him and less of me.

Can I pray for you? Send me a message or comment here and I will add you to my prayer list!



-Glory be to God


Shelly

Imperfection

This one word, imperfection, can conjure up some serious panic attacks, feelings of unworthiness, and just plain blah. 

Let's face it, we all feel imperfect in one way or another. I struggle with this word in terms of my weight, my health, being a Christian woman, being a mother and grandmother. 

My weight is not perfect, it's getting better, but the fact is I look in the mirror and I see so many imperfections. Why do we always compare ourselves to each other? Why do we see ourselves and want what another has? 

Even that perfect size 0 (is that even a realistic size?) model, sees something imperfect about themselves. 

We as humans are always so worried about outward appearances that we drive ourselves crazy trying to become what someone else is. Yet, we have to remember one thing.....

We are perfectly imperfect in the eyes of our Heavenly Father. He has created us to His exact specifications. He does not make mistakes. We weren't created to be like anyone else.  So instead of focusing on the appearance in the mirror, focus on your heart and the hearts of others. That is where you will see the true beauty of a person. 

"You are altogether Beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you" Song of Solomon 4:7

God created you and I to be different. To be who we are. We need to stop trying to compare our bodies, our looks, hair, parenting, marriages....our lives with each other. No, I am not perfect. And I never will be.  I just live to be a better person than I was yesterday! I am a beautiful Christian woman, raising 2 grandsons the best way I know how. My marriage has troubles, my parenting skills aren't the greatest, my looks have faded, but I have never been happier. I stopped looking in the mirror. I look into my heart!

I study His word for advice, I pray to hear what He wants of me, where He is leading me! I am beautifully created by my Heavenly Father to His exact specifications for me, and since I've stopped looking in the mirror, I have found a peace and happiness that I have never known before! 

So stop comparing yourself to your neighbor, you friend, your family. You are beautifully YOU!!! And you are good enough. Christ loves you so very much for who you are, for who He created you to be! And I do too! Look in His word for your affirmation, for all humans are imperfect, and they will never give you the kind of love and confidence our Heavenly Father will. 

Galatians 2:20- My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 

Ephesians 1:4- Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. 

2 Corinthians 5:17- This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

You are a beautiful person. God has wonderful plans for you. Seek Him and His word to discover your calling and where He will lead you. Let Him lead you, surrender your all to Him, then and only then will you find the peace and happiness your heart truly desires. 

Blessings to you all and all Glory to God!

A Powerful Love

Today's devotional comes from Luke. The story of the prodigal son. 

So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. 

Our father will always forgive us when we finally find our way back home. 

However; we need to love others this same way. 

1st. Let Go. Sometimes we have to let our loved ones go, even though this is one of the hardest things to do. We all have had someone in our life that we just pray over and try to guide, but they have already left home in their head and heart. We have to let them go and let them make their own mistakes. 

2nd. Wait. We must wait & let the Lord do His work in this person. We must have confidence in God's plan. Our only job is to wait and pray over that person and let God's will be done. 

I'm seeing the results of this waiting, while my person is not coming to the Lord yet, he is praying, and he is beginning to see God's work in his life. This makes my heart so happy. I just have to wait and pray. God will take care of the rest! 

http://youtu.be/8-1w3zQaE0k Check out Kutless "When you Come Back Home" 

Beautiful song and reminds us of our Fathers great love!!!

He is always faithful