February 27, 2021
Good afternoon! I’m so glad that you came back to read this weeks update! It’s so encouraging whenever I see someone get on and fill out a box form or leave feedback. It truly brightens my day by so much! There are certainly times that the devil beats down on me and makes me think that I am not doing the right things or maybe he leaves me feeling useless. So when people like you decide for fill out a form or email me or just read my blogs, I am able to see God’s fabulous work first hand. I missed you all last week and have been waiting and planning for this weeks update.
I wanted to start by sharing with you all that I had a speaking opportunity today, I was asked to share a devotion at my churches basketball game. I really enjoyed sharing with all the young and old families who were there and listened. Therefore, I figured why not share the same message with each of you? I want to start by asking you all to turn with me too the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah 17: 7-8 is going to be our main verse for the week. This verse is saying that those who trust in the Lord forever and ever shall be blessed and have little worry. I know that as sinful humans we often times get so caught up in asking God “why” we have to face certain circumstances. Whether that be anxiety, depression, divorce, abuse, or anything else that can completely take a toll on our lives. Through the biggest trial i have yet to face, it was not until I began asking God “What?” Rather than “Why?” What is God’s purpose for this trial? What does He want me to do with this situation? How can I help others with what I’ve gone through? Once I found myself asking these questions, God began to speak to me and tell me just what He wanted.
Now I am here to tell you, it did not happen overnight. This took much prayer and quiet time and our work is still not complete. However, Christ has made a way for me to not only be held accountable but to inspire and encourage others while I do it. Now that I have told you what I feel God has put me here for, what about you? What trials have you faced or are currently facing that can and will help shape you into God’s final project? What does He want you to do with these hard things you’ve endured? Maybe you don’t know the answer to this question or maybe you are awaiting an upcoming trial. This is exactly where prayer comes into play. Speak and talk to the Lord. Ask Him what He wants you to do with your life. I promise he will let you know even if it not right away. I encourage you to stay strong, don’t loose hope, and remember that God has a bigger plan for you. We will face times that feel never-ending or even impossible to overcome, but just as Jesus rose from the dead, you too can Bounceback Beautifully through Him. I love you all to the ends of this earth and I pray that this weeks update would really touch your heart. Please continue to fill out box forms, feedback forms, and let me know if there is anything I can do for you! Have a great week and You Are Worthy!!
February 21, 2021
Hey everyone!! I have been praying for direction and guidance for each and every one of you. I wanted to give you all a heads up that I am planning on doing a Facebook Live sometime this week so be sure to check in and watch. Not only do I hope that I am encouraging everyone who comes on to BBB but, I want you all to know that you all encourage me. Whenever I get the notification on my phone that someone new has accessed my website, I get so excited. It is amazing to see the work of God in plain sight. This week has been so eye opening for me. I have seen the God moving mountains that I thought were no longer movable yet, God makes a way. If we focus in on these miracles and realize that God is doing things in the midst of our disasters then we will become so much more appreciative for all Christ has in store for you and me.
I woke up this morning and I read my verse of the day on YouVersion. The verse was Matthew 5:6. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Now let's get real for a minute. Being a christian is tough, God never promises an easy ride from salvation on out. Read James 1:2-3. This is a perfect example of God telling us that we will face trials and difficulties however we will also have triumphs and accomplishments. We must take each and every single day as a new opportunity to use whatever God has in store for His glory. You and me should have a calling every morning we roll out of bed. We should have a thirst to do right, to work for the Lord himself. God glorifies and praises us for doing his work out of our hearts. However, you can do all the "good" in the world. Volunteering weekly, praying hourly, sharing the gospel, fill in the blank yet none of these works mean anything if you are doing them out of pressure or in order to "earn" your way to heaven. We are called to embrace and accept this calling that God places in our hearts and use it for Him. By doing these things, we will gain this confidence and be filled with God's unfailing love.
I hope you all have a great week and let me know if I can help with anything you may need. Please be filling out B3 forms (I have lots of new inventory to fill them with). I love you all so much! See you this upcoming week.
February 14, 2021,
Happy Valentines Day! Can you believe we are already to this point in the year? Give it a few months and we will be in the middle of summer break! I think that as humans we get so used to living this day by day life that we forget to thank God for the time He graciously gives us here on earth. I mean really think about it, every morning you wake up and every night you lie down. These are just two times that we are called to praise and thank God that we are still here. I pray that you all have had a good week and have been pushing yourselves to be more of a disciple. I know that with all of the things going on this past week, it has been hard but remember this should be the top of our priorities. In honor of Valentines day, I came up with a topic about love; specifically God's love that He shed on us every single day. I know that if you have grown up in church or been a part of a church for a while that you have definitely heard someone say that "God love you more than anyone or anything". Is it just me or is this unbelievable. Trying to think about someone that I cannot see loving me more than my family and friends makes my brain spin. However, we know this is true. Read Romans 8:39. This verse states, "Neither hight nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus." No matter how much we mess up or how often we disobey, God's love is here and here to stay. He promises to forever love us throughput all the highs and lows of life. Remember, God had such great love for us that He sent His ONLY son to be tortured and put to death on the cross. "You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you." Pslams 86:5. It is amazing to think that we do not have to "earn" God's love. It is already given. SO next time you are down, maybe you feel alone or like nobody is there for you. Remember that you are never alone and no matter the circumstances, God loves you more than you can put into perspective.
Therefore, if God shows us all of His love, shouldn't we as Christians give Him our love in return? Now I am not saying that we can love as much as God because we cannot. However, we do have the ability to love Christ with all we've got. It's hard to think about and even scary for me but we are called to love God more than anything else. More than our family, friends, pets, and other worldly things. I don't know about you, but I love my family more than words can explain so to think about loving someone I've never seen before with even more is unimaginable. Yet, this is where our faith comes into play. Faith is defined as "complete trust or confidence in someone or something". In this case, we are to give all we've got to the Savior of our world. Faith is hard to understand, I find myself quite often wondering and questioning how faith works. The only answer I have been able to grip is the fact that God so graciously loves us dispite our imperfections, so why can't we love a perfect king even more? I beielive that faith is something that takes time and complete devotion. You can't be half in, it is either all or nothing.
I'm asking you now, are you all in? Have you given up all of your worldly possessions, hobbies, and distractions that get in the way of you loving and obeying God more? If so, we can change that, all you must do today is pray. Pray that God would forgive you for this burden, that He would give you a fresh start with more opportunities to love and support Him in all that you do. I know we can do this together so this Valentines Day, while you are with your loved ones or maybe alone, remember that God is with you and try to find someone who could benefit from herring that as well. Share with at least on person that God loves them unconditionally and that nothing can change this. I love you all so very much and I hope you all have an amazing week. Try and show as much love as possible:) I will see you all next week!
Good morning! My goodness to say this week has been crazy long is an understatement. I never thought I was actually going to make it to the weekend. But yet God intervenes again and look where we are now. I pray that you call had a great and have been looking forward to this weeks update like I have. I am excited but sad to say that this will be the last week of our disciples of the Lord study. I'm not completely sure of what this next study will involve but I know God is going to use it in amazing ways just as He did the current study. So I encourage you to grab a bible and find somewhere peaceful and quiet to learn and apply this mornings word.
Let's start with just a recap of the last few weeks. If you have not been following along or are new to Bounceback Beautifully, I encourage you to at least read back to the beginning of January that way it will make more sense and you can better follow along. We have been discussing the characteristics of what a disciple of the Lord looks like in our own personal lives. We learned that so far that we must observe the actions of Christ and do our best to imitate those actions on a day to day basis. Then we also talked about how God calls us to empty ourselves before the Lord and give Him our all. This is exactally what God has lead me to share with you all today. The last point that we must considerer if we are wanting to be true disciples of the lord is that we must sacrifice ourselves. As humans, we struggle with jealousy. This is something that as sinners we were born into feeling such as this. However, God calls us to sacrifice or give up all of our time, energy, and space for Him. As we see in many stories throughout the Bible, Jesus never let his own selfish ambitions get in his way. People followed directly behind him everywhere and yet He still had compassion for them and continued on his journey. I want you to read Matthew 9 verses 35-36. This shows how Jesus went through and fought anything that got in his way of sharing. Jesus sacrificed his own personal comfort for the growth and saving of many many sinners. When Jesus went on the consistent journeys throughout the cities, he always went into these situations with no idea of what was ahead of him. He had no definite place to sleep, he had no food with him. All he had were the clothes of his back, yet he still went. So I challenge you to ask yourself, are you willing to give up all of your friends, family, personal belongings to go out and make disciples? How far are you willing to take this? What sacrifices are you willing to make to help save a another sinner in need of Christ's love? Read Matthew 10:39, Philippians 2:12, and Ephesians 2:10.
I pray that this study really spoke measures to you like it did me. I pray that after reading his word and hearing these truths that you and me alike would be able to go out and make many more disciples for the Lord. remember to stay positive and seek him with all you've got. I love you all so much and hope you have a fantastic week. Let me know if I can do anything for you and please submit some more B3 Boxes. Valentines day is approaching and a box might be just what your loved ones need.