November 22, 2020
It's turkey week!! Only four days until Thanksgiving and I don't know about you but, I am so excited! I hope you have all had a great week and have been awaiting an update just like me. I've had a really hard time deciding on what to write about today, then in church today as I was helping in the nursery I knew just what to write about. As humans, we mistakenly think that in order to live our lives eternally in Heaven we must "do good" or "succeed" in life. However in Ephesians 2 verses 8 and 9 God says to all of us, " For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." These verses mean so much to me because as a sinner I get so caught up on the mistakes I make that I forget that Jesus already graciously took away the burden we deserve with our sins. Salvation is not about how "Good of a christian you are" its not about "how many missions you complete", no it's about knowing who the Lord Jesus Christ is and what He was sent upon this earth to do. Now I am certainly not saying that after we say the prayer of salvation we can just sit back and relax because that is not what God has called us to do. He has called us to be spokesmen for Him. We are too go about our everyday lives telling more and more people about Him and all the marvelous works He has done. This does not mean we have to travel the world to different countries although that is some people's calling, you can complete this daily project in your house, school, work, and anywhere else you have human interaction. So I challenge you this week that as we celebrate and gather with our family and friends, that you would try and have a gospel conversation with at least one other person. Maybe ask them what you can pray for or ask them to join you at church next Sunday. Whatever it is, know that this is being on mission for the Lord and He is thankful for that. I pray that you would all have a fabulous holiday week and please don't forget to check out the news tab on the home page. I love y'all so much and let me know if I can do anything for anyone. Also B3 Boxes, I have been super duper slow sending those out so please be filling out those forms for people who could use some encouragement. Happy Thanksgiving!!!
November 15, 2020
Happy Sunday everyone! I can't wrap my head around the fact that we have less 15 days until Thanksgiving. Is it just me or did we just have Easter? Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because I love the time I get to spend with my immediate family as well as my distant family. This holiday is usually only one of the few times a year my entire family gets to be all together. It's hard to lay aside all of the activities, decorations, and especially food that is associated with Thanksgiving. However it is so very important to remember to be thankful for all those things in which the Lord has provided for us. Many families don't get too celebrate like we do and I am 100% guilty of taking this for advantage. My goal this holiday season is to make sure I pray and thank God for all the amazing things in which He has provided before I get out of bed each morning. This doesn't sound too hard so how about you try it with me? Anywho, let's get into what the main topic is this week. Today I really want to focus on loving and forgiveness. Is it just me or do y'all sometimes hold grudges? Maybe a friend didn't invite you to their party or maybe someone acting dismissive around you. No matter the circumstance, everyone has had a hard time forgiving another person before. I think we often times get so caught up in what that person did wrong that we forget about the things they have allowed to improve our lives. Luke 6 : 37 says, "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven." This is a really hard topic because as much as I would love to say that forgiving is easy, in reality art is one of the hardest things to do. We as humans hold grudges most often because of jealousy which we talked about just several weeks back. (Side note... do y'all see how many of the topics every week tie into one another? This is not planned its a work of God.) I want you to all read Luke 6 : 27-37.
Now ask yourself these questions,
1. What words or actions come to mind when thinking about showing someone mercy?
2. In these verses, how does God respond to the evil and unthankful people? And how would you treat them?
3. Lastly, I want you to really think about how God wants us to respond in these situations. Does He want us to go off on that person or would He rather us sit down and talk though our feelings?
We must remember through all of the hard times that we are all sinners in need of a Savior and everyone here on this earth is broken and needs forgiveness. I challenge you this week to try your hardest to forgive those who have hurt you. Pray about it and God will give you the words needed. I love you all so much and hope you have a fantastic week.
Remember to :
Let me know if you need help with Christmas Wrapping (see news button on home page for more info)
The holidays can be a hard time for people struggling with anything, be sure to fill out B3 Box forms for anyone who could benefit
Continue to pray for this ministry and that God would continue to use my story for His glory
November 7, 2020
Good afternoon! Can you believe we only have a month and a half left of 2020? I feel like just yesterday we were talking about what our 2020 goals were and now it is about over. I want you all to know that despite this year being so difficult and emotionally draining, you are all amazing. It takes so much courage and bravery to be able to make it as far as you have and I know you can continue. You will get through whatever battles you are facing. Put on foot in front of the other and let God continue to lead and guide you through this life. We don't know what is to come however we do know that we are stronger and God is bigger than anything we will ever face. Take one step closer to the light of Jesus and give it all to Him. We are all broken. Nobody here on this earth is anywhere near to perfect. But because of God and His never-ending, never failing, forgiving, flawless spirit. This is not the end. I want to share a story from the Bible with you all that will hopefully speak measures to you and impact your life just as it did mine. If you have your bible, turn with me to the book of Mark. Read Mark 5 : 25-34.
After reading these few verses, ask yourself when the last time you cried out to God was. Whether this be a cry for physical or emotional brokenness, when was the last time you spent this time with Him? Just as seen in this story, Jesus has the ability to heal any and everyone. Jesus has power like no other. Power to cleanse and remake our bodies and minds according to His plans. However, in order to see this happen, we must have faith. We must be able to trust God and allow Him to take the reigns of our lives. We are not in control, He is. Now ask yourself, How does your faith compare to the sick women faith? She goes up to Jesus and touches His robe with complete assurance that she would forever be healed. Do you believe this is true in your life? I know this is something that I have struggled with. I used to often ask myself and still do why God chose me and my family to go though what we did? After really diving into the Bible and coming to the realization that God does these things in our lives in order for our faith and trust in Him to grow stronger. Personally, after overcoming the trials I have faced, I quickly saw a difference in my current and past levels of faith in Christ. Whereas before I knew it was there but wasn't really using or trusting it, I now know that God is my one and only true source of healing. I encourage you to give it all to Him. Trials are hard and feel like forever but trust me, I promise God is going to use this for His glory and before long you will be thanking God for the boost in faith you have after enduring that trial. I love you all so much and pray that this update really spoke to you. Make sure if you haven't already to read the NEWS and ANNOUNCEMENTS on my home page for what's ahead. I love you all so much and will be praying for you all.