Thought of the day: Surprised?

Hi friends,
I have found that sometimes the trials of life take us by Surprise , but nothing surprises God! He know the trails we are going to encounter before we go through them. The trials of this life are meant to refine or purify our hearts. It is an opportunity for Him to cleanse us and help us reach our full potential !
I know it's easy to blame God when bad things happen... I suffered a psychotic break in the summer of 2011, and I thought to myself "why did God let this happen"? "What did I do to deserve it?" It was very strange and I was frozen with fear. But God word prevailed , he is restoring me!
Maybe your in the midst of a trial, and your asking the same questions. Guess what we share in Christ suffering now, but Peter declares we will have fullness of joy ...
"Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.Instead, be very glad--for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world." 1 Peter 4:12&13
God loves you, I love you and you are formed for his use!

Thought of the day: what does it take to surrender?

Hi friends,
In my life I have found that surrender does not come naturally , and that it goes against everything in our human nature. You might ask what does it take to surrender to a God that we cannot see? Well, first of all it takes trusting him to do what you can't. We couldn't die on the cross for our own sin, because sin cannot erase itself without the sacrifice of Jesus, a man who didn't know sin and yet He became it for you and me ! Also there are things in life that we simply can't get through without Him. For example , I have CP and it's not my cup of tea to be honest, but I am in the process of overcoming it not by my strength, but by His power at work within me!
The second key to surrender is dying to yourself . I know that's not easy in fact sometimes it seems next to impossible. That's why Paul declares," I am 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". You see surrender is a daily process that Christ uses to help us live in obedience to him! Last but not least, be willing to obey His commands. Our obedience is one of the keys to get to know God and his will! Read more at Deuteronomy 5:33. Today's thoughts are taken from: Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 3:20-21& Deuteronomy 5:33. God loves you , I love you& you are formed for his use! * This is not an extensive resource on surrender *

Thought of the day: what is hope?

Hi friends,
It's in our nature to put our hope in temporary things.. For example, we hope that people in our life have the right answers to the big questions, and we hope that our job can pay more, we hope that our healing will come. Right? Well hope is so much more! Hope is knowing that your Father in heaven loves you deeply. Hope is making the journey from darkness to light, hope is praying for a miracle and having the chance to be one for someone else!
We live in a world that promises a brighter tomorrow, but the reality is it leaves us empty and broken. That's when Christ can fill us up and restore our hope!
I have struggled with depression for many years. I reached the point of giving up after the loss of several friends/family members... I honestly still wonder why life was so painful. God restored my hope in him through N. Vujicic , a young man born without limbs!
It's hard to always find hope in a world so cold. Let God's warm embrace be your shelter from the storm! If you are praying for healing,keep believing ! God will give you wholeness , in this life or the next!
The things of this world will fail you,but God won't ! So, how do we find hope? By making the daily choice to trust him with all of our heart, and knowing that he will restore hope to us again! Today's thoughts are taken from: Romans 8:24-25, 1 Peter 2:9, Proverbs 3:5-6 & Rebekah's story.God loves you, I love you & you are Formed for his use!

Thought of the day: From hurt to hope!

Hi friends,
Do you feel hopeless ? I've been there too, it's a hard place to be. I was reading Lamentations 3 today and it got me thinking ... When we have Christ there is always a reason for hope!
Jeremiah was talking about a very dark time in the history of Israel and his life. God wasn't hearing their prayers, their enemies has rose up against them, and the light was no where to be found.. Yet he made a choice to put his hope in God! Lamentations 3:22:24 declares," Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will hope in him."
You see hope is a choice! Christ wants to transform your though life& your heart from hurting to hopeful. He died to do that. Hold onto what is true, don't loose hope ! Today's thoughts are taken from Lamentations 3:22-24. God loves you, I love you and you are formed for his use!

Thought of the day: Worship with all you have!

Hi friends,
We are called to worship God in spirit and truth! Today I'm thinking about what that looks like. Yes we worship Him on Sunday with song, but have we given Him our hearts... Worship is a constant communion with The Holy Spirit and living in obedience to what He says. That's hard, I know. We are all a work in progress! We are not perfect... I want to encourage you with this: we serve a perfect God who uses our imperfections. It's good to worship with song, however God wants your life and heart! We can't always lift up our voices in song, but we can quietly reflect on what God says to us! For example, He tells me that I am called, and that He will help my faith grow! What does he tell you?
When you feel worn, ask Him to empower you and fill you up. Simply cry out" Jesus help me",he will. Today's thoughts are from: John 4:24, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Jeremiah 29:13
God loves you, I love you and you are formed for his use!

Thought of the day: What do I know of Holy?

Hi friends,
As I study God's word and His character , I am realizing that I don't know Him as much as I thought. Yes I know His commandments and grace, but I don't understand His word. Recently, I was reading in Psalm 119, the writer talked about keeping God's word hidden in his heart, so that he would not sin. My understanding of God's word is very linear... In other words it's not deep.
I don't know about you, but I want to go deeper! The writers of Psalm 119 also talked about being in difficult situations and still remembering His word, it challenged me to take a closer look at myself and my overall understanding of His word.... It's easy to remember the truth of His word in the good times,but we must choose to recall his promises and goodness in the storms of life as well!
Friends, I am humbled to know that I don't have all the answers! I have been a follower of Christ for several years, but I don't really know a lot of Holy... My prayer is that he would increase our faith and understanding everyday . Today's thoughts are taken from: Psalm 119. God loves you, I love you & you are formed for his use!

Thought of the day: Renew your mind!

Hi friends,
Today I am asking God to help me renew my mind. I have thought from the standpoint of self pity for so long that it's hard to think of myself any other way. That is a pattern of this world,and scripture tells us to not conform to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind! We do this to see what God's good, pleasing and perfect will is for us.

So, how do we renew our minds? Well, it's a daily process of confessing God's truth over our lives and taking hold of it! For example, my truth is that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. What's yours? You and I have a purpose, a hope and a future beyond our wildest dreams! I would encourage you to find and hold onto His truth for your life! Today's thoughts are taken from: Romans 12:2, Psalm 139:14, Jeremiah 29:11. God loves you, I love you and you are Formed For His Use!

Thought of the day: What is important ?

Hi friends,
We live in a world that puts a lot of importance on earthly things, such as :money, fame, education and possessions . Right now I am reminded of what is really important . It's not the things that the world holds so dear, but rather your eternal destiny ! I would encourage you to fix your eyes and heart on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith!

Let me ask you something. Would you rather gain all the riches in the world, and loose your soul? Or surrender your heart to your Father in Heaven, and experience His grace and mercy? So many people haven't experienced the freedom and richness that Christ has to offer, because they want to hold onto the temporary things of this world, which are fleeting in comparison to eternity . We will have to let go of our old pattern of living to fully embrace what God has for us. But it's worth it... It's the best eternal decision we can make! Come to him as you are, sin and all. Everyone has sinned... Myself included!
Cherish every moment you have here, because we never know when this life will end, or when eternity will begin for us! God loves you, I love you and you are formed for his use! Today's thoughts are taken from: Hebrews 12:2, Romans 3:23-24, Luke 12:13-21.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone !

Thought of the day: Say "Thank you"

Hi friends,
I know it's hard to maintain an attitude of gratitude all the time, especially in the midst of difficult circumstances. I have learned to start my day by saying" thank you Lord for your power at work within me today!" It's not easy going through life sometimes, but if we acknowledge what God has done and trust Him to get us through another day our hearts become lighter, and our burdens smaller!
It is God's will for us to give thanks in every circumstance . We have a hard time tracing God's hand in everything , when you can't trace His hand.... Trust His heart! Having a thankful attitude is the key to growing in your relationship with God ! You might be tempted to be bitter... I have and guess what, God can handle it.
God loves you, I love you and you are Formed For His Use! Today's thoughts are taken from: 2 Thessalonians 5:18, Matthew 11:28.

Though of the day: Our weakness is God's strength

Hi friends,
Weakness is a word no one wants to talk about. In society weakness is a lack of strength, but in God's eyes weakness is an opportunity to display His power in us and through us! Don't be ashamed of it, instead rejoice in the midst of it. I know it's hard to be strong always... Guess what? You don't have to be because His strength is in you and He constantly works through you!
This is my favorite saying : "Perhaps strength doesn't reside in having never been broken, but in the courage required to grow strong in the broken places."
Today's thoughts are taken from: 2 Corinthians 12:9, Philippians 4:13

Thought of the day:Broken, but not beyond repair

Hi friends,
Do you feel broken right now? Maybe you have lost a loved one, or your health,or your job. I am broken too, but God is restoring me. Recently, we lost a loved one to cancer. He loved his family and lived out his faith to the end! We feel the sting of death, but it doesn't have the final say... Jesus does.
Brokenness is not something to be ashamed of, in fact when you feel like you heart has been torn to shreds by life's circumstance, God will take your brokenness and make a masterpiece! You may not see it now, but there is hope for restoration! A hope beyond this life. In my life hope is Holding Onto your Place in Eternity . There is so much more to life than what we can see.

Sometimes we can be broken by burdens too, those burdens are not ours to carry. Give them to God because He cares for you!

Right now I am trusting God to restore me to fullness of joy in His presence! I encourage you to do the same! Our brokenness is what God uses to display his power and wholeness in us and through us. Don't give up dear ones, you may be broken, but you are not beyond repair.
I love you, God love you and you are Formed For His Use!
Today's thoughts are take from: 1 Corinthians 15: 55-57, 2 Corinthians 4:8&9, 1 Peter 5:7