Tag: Jesus

Girl Tribe

I have this group of girlfriends that I’ve come to know and love over the past year. The Lord brought them into my life when I needed life-giving friendships and encouragement more than ever before. These women represent the true heart of God. They are transparent, they are open, they are love, and they are full of joy. We laugh, we cry, and we have fun. And what is most unique about this group…every single woman WANTS to be there for the rest. When someone’s child is getting baptized, we’re there, yelling and clapping the loudest, taking video or taking pictures. When someone is going through a hard time, we’re there, praying and comforting and texting to check on them. When I’m struggling or having a hard time with something, they’re all there, not with judgment and condemnation, but with love and support and encouragement. These are the women that I want to walk beside and share life with.

Thank you, Lord, for bringing these women into my life with their beautiful souls, love, laughter and hearts of gold.

I didn’t want this Christmas season to pass or this year to end without expressing my deepest gratitude for the gift they are to me.

To Shana, thank you for welcoming me to your group, for leading our group with your insightfulness into God’s Word, and allowing me to be me (even the crazy note-taking part of me!).

To Kristel, thank you for opening your home each week to all of us and not only allowing us to be open and transparent, but also by checking on us throughout the week or even weeks later to see how things are going.

To Tanya, thank you for the amazing prayer warrior that you are. Your prayers are so full of the Spirit, it’s as if angels sing every time you pray!

To Stacia, thank you for your strength. I don’t even know your full story yet, but to hear how you encourage everyone in the group, despite what you may be going through yourself, your strength in the Lord amazes me all the time.

To Maddie, thank you for bringing youthfulness to our group. I love that our group spans many ages and seasons of life. You have wisdom beyond your years and I’m so happy to have you as a dear friend.

To Lacy, thank you for inviting me to the group. I know that meeting you when I was a youth leader was God-appointed and I’ll forever be thankful for you and the friendship we’ve developed over this past year.

To Mary Ann, thank you for your smile. I love being around you; you are always so happy and full of joy. There’s always laughter when you’re around and I love that about you so much!

To Natali, thank you for being genuine. You don’t ever hesitate to share the good or the bad, the struggles and the victories. I learn so much by listening to you, and I also love hearing what you’re reading about in the Bible. You help me to see being transparent is a good thing when you’re with the right group of women.

To Kristina, thank you for all you’ve done for me inside and outside of the group. I love watching you with your girls and your family. You have a beautiful spirit about you. Not only am I blessed to know you, but I know your family is as well.

To Jennifer, thank you for your words of encouragement. You have a way of offering just the right words when someone is struggling. You’re not ashamed to draw from your past to share God’s love with everyone around you.

To Patricia, thank you for sharing God’s Light to every person you meet. You have a unique business and gift and I love hearing about the women you encounter and how you help them and heal them.

I think God for each one of you. Thank you for your beautiful friendship!

Proverbs 27:9 (NLT), “The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.”

1 John 4:7 (NLT), “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.”

Goodness of God

Do you ever get down in a rut and feel like everything around you is just harder than normal? That’s where I am right now.  Everything just feels hard…marriage is hard; being a mom is hard; even my easy-going work place is suddenly just hard. It feels like nothing is going right, my schedule is all out of whack, and I can’t do anything right. For instance, the other day I got home, turned off the alarm (or so I thought), went to get my dog & the alarm sounded off.  Rather LOUDLY, I might add!  I got it turned off, but then had to call my husband to figure out how to clear it out so I could set it again and leave the house.  Then, as I was told later, I forgot to actually lock the door when I left!  Geez! Everything just feels hard, and nothing is going according to my normal schedule.  And to top it off, I tried to fast last week and EPICALLY FAILED at that!  I mean, I can’t even be a good Christian right now!! 

EVERYTHING.

IS.

HARD.

BUT GOD.

GOD IS GOOD.

HE IS SO, SO GOOD!!!

In all the hard mess, I forgot the ONE THING, the EASIEST thing…give it to God (I believe I did say I was failing at being a good Christian.).

I went to my weekly bible study group this week…to my group of transparent Christian women who love me and accept me for who I am. When I needed a place to land and some new friends, they welcomed me with open arms. When I walked in this week, I was carrying the weight of feeling like a failure at all the things; feeling like as soon as I opened my mouth, I would be a puddle on the floor. But that feeling quickly faded as we took turns sharing about our week. When it was my turn to share, I told them how I’d been feeling and all the failure qualities going on in my life. They didn’t judge me or condemn me…they loved on me, they encouraged me, and they reminded me of God’s grace and mercy and unconditional love.  

After sharing about our week, we took some time talking about different songs that have affected us in some way. Songs that helped us through hard times, through tough situations, or that just brought back good memories. I’ve been soaking in some good worship music since we met, and I wanted to share some excerpts from the different songs shared in the group.

For Kristina (Oceans, by Hillsong UNITED)

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

For Jennifer (Praise You in This Storm, by Casting Crowns)

And I’ll praise You in this storm

And I will lift my hands

For You are who You are

No matter where I am

And every tear I’ve cried

You hold in Your hand

You never left my side

And though my heart is torn

I will praise You in this storm

For Mary Ann (Lord, I Need You, by Matt Maher)

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You

Every hour, I need You

My one defense, my righteousness

Oh God, how I need You

For Maddie (Same God, by Elevation Worship)

O God, my God, I need you

O God, my God, I need You now

How I need You now

O Rock, O Rock of ages

I’m standing on Your faithfulness

On Your faithfulness

For Kristel (How Great Thou Art, version by Carrie Underwood)

Oh Lord, my God

When I, in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder

Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee

How great Thou art, how great Thou art

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee

How great Thou art, how great Thou art

For Stacia (In Jesus Name, by Katy Nichole)

I speak the name of Jesus over you

In your hurting, in your sorrow

I will ask my God to move

I speak the name ‘cause it’s all that I can do

In desperation, I’ll seek Heaven

And pray this for you

I pray for your healing

That circumstances would change

I pray that the fear inside would flee in Jesus name

I pray that a breakthrough would happen today

I pray miracles over your life in Jesus name, in Jesus name

For Shana (Great Are You Lord, by Casting Crowns)

You give life, You are love

You bring light to the darkness

You give hope, You restore

Every heart that is broken

Great are You, Lord

It’s Your breath in our lungs

So we pour out our praise

We pour out our praise

It’s Your breath in our lungs

So we pour our praise to You only

For Natali (Show Me Your Glory, by Third Day)

Show me Your Glory

Send down Your presence

I want to see Your face

Show me Your Glory

Majesty shines about You

I can’t go on without You, Lord

For Lacy (The Gift, by Garth Brooks)

Then a voice spoke to her through the darkness

Maria, what brings you to me

If the bird in the cage is your offering

Open the door, let me see

Though she trembled, she did as he asked her

And out of the cage the bird flew

Soaring into the rafters

On a wing that had healed good as new

Just then the midnight bells rang out

And the little bird started to sing

A song that no words could recapture

Whose beauty was fit for a king

Now Maria felt blessed just to listen

To that cascade of notes sweet and long

As her offering was lifted to heaven

By the very first nightingale’s song

And Me (Trust in You, by Lauren Daigle)

Letting go of every single dream

I lay each one at Your feet

Every moment of my wandering

Never changes what You see

I’ve tried to win this war, I confess

My hands are weary, I need Your rest

Mighty warrior, King of the fight

No matter what I face, You’re by my side

When You don’t move the mountains

I’m needing You to move

When You don’t part the waters

I wish I could walk through

When You don’t give the answers

As I cry out to You

I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You

And for anyone still reading this blog, I hope you heard the music as you read each song snippet and God spoke to you through the words.  Sometimes just a small touch of God is all we need to get over the hump, to get through a rough patch, or to bring some joy into our day. Is there a song that you’ve clung to through a hard season or difficult time in your life? I’d love for you to share it with me.

Before I go, I want to leave you with one last song, the Goodness of God, by Elevation Worship. The day after my bible study, I listed to this on repeat and asked God to rain His goodness, His peace, His mercy and His grace over me.  It’s already getting better. =)

I love you, Lord

For Your mercy never fails me

All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands

From the moment that I wake up

Until I lay my head

Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

All my life You have been faithful

All my life You have been so, so good

With every breath that I am able

Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice

You have led me through the fire

In the darkest night

You are close like no other

I’ve known You as a Father

I’ve known You as a Friend

And I have lived in the goodness of God

All my life You have been faithful

All my life You have been so, so good

With every breath that I am able

Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God

November Scriptures

November Scriptures

For the past few years, I have taken on the goal of reading my Bible through one of the one-year reading plans.  Mostly, I’ve used the NLT One-Year Chronological Bible. I seem to prefer this particular one because it’s written as it happened, in chronological order.  It’s interesting to me, when reading the Bible this way, how events in history transpired simultaneously through some of the different books and also the different order of the books from how the Bible is laid out.

Like I said, I read the One-Year Bible for several years using this particular version.  But last year, 2019, I didn’t just want to read the Bible, I wanted to make sure I got something out of the daily reading. So I decided I would find one verse or scripture passage that spoke the most to me during each day of Bible reading.

My goal was to read the Bible each day, highlight the specific verse or scripture passage that I found and then write it down to keep in a journal. I used a certain highlighter color so I could keep track of which verse I picked for the daily reading, versus other highlights already in there.

Then, late last year, I decided I wanted to do more with my daily verses, besides keeping them in a journal.  I wanted to share them. So for each month in 2020, I plan to post the scriptures I found for that month in 2019. 

My prayer for you is that as you read these scriptures that spoke to me last year, they will speak to you right here and now; either to something you’re searching for, an answer you need or just confirmation of what God has been speaking to you.

November 1—Matthew 26:41

“Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the Spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

November 2—Mark 14:62

Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

November 3—John 18:37

Pilate said, “So you are a king?” Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”

November 4—Mark 15:38-39

And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

November 5—Matthew 28:6

He isn’t here!  He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.

November 6—John 20:31

But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

November 7—Acts 2:2-4

Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

November 8—Acts 4:29-30

And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of the holy servant Jesus.

November 9—Acts 7:59

As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

November 10—Acts 9:18

Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.

November 11—Acts 11:17

“And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?”

November 12—Acts 13:38-39

“Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is made right in God’s sight—something the law of Moses could never do.”

November 13—Galatians 1:10

Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

November 14—Acts 15:11

“…we believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”

November 15—Acts 15:35

Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. They and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord there.

November 16—1 Thessalonians 3:12

And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.

November 17—2 Thessalonians 1:11

So, we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.

November 18—1 Corinthians 3:6-8

I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.

November 19—1 Corinthians 4:5

So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.

November 20—1 Corinthians 8:6

But for us, there is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created and through whom we live.

November 21—1 Corinthians 13:7

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

November 22—1 Corinthians 14:26

Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you.

November 23—1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything in love.

November 24—Romans 3:23-24

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.

November 25—Romans 6:16

Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.

November 26—Romans 8:28

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

November 27—Romans 12:4-5

Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

November 28—Romans 15:13

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

November 29—2 Corinthians 5:10

For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

November 30—2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure, “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

**All verses are written from the New Living Translation.

**The verses are taken from the NLT Chronological One-Year Bible from YouVersion

October Scriptures

For the past few years, I have taken on the goal of reading my Bible through one of the one-year reading plans.  Mostly, I’ve used the NLT One-Year Chronological Bible. I seem to prefer this particular one because it’s written as it happened, in chronological order.  It’s interesting to me, when reading the Bible this way, how events in history transpired simultaneously through some of the different books and also the different order of the books from how the Bible is laid out.

Like I said, I read the One-Year Bible for several years using this particular version.  But last year, 2019, I didn’t just want to read the Bible, I wanted to make sure I got something out of the daily reading. So I decided I would find one verse or scripture passage that spoke the most to me during each day of Bible reading.

My goal was to read the Bible each day, highlight the specific verse or scripture passage that I found and then write it down to keep in a journal. I used a certain highlighter color so I could keep track of which verse I picked for the daily reading, versus other highlights already in there.

Then, late last year, I decided I wanted to do more with my daily verses, besides keeping them in a journal.  I wanted to share them. So for each month in 2020, I plan to post the scriptures I found for that month in 2019. 

My prayer for you is that as you read these scriptures that spoke to me last year, they will speak to you right here and now; either to something you’re searching for, an answer you need or just confirmation of what God has been speaking to you.

October 1—Matthew 12:18

“Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is my Beloved, who pleases me. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations…”

October 2—Luke 6:27

“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you…”

October 3—Matthew 6:30

And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

October 4—Matthew 11:28-30

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

October 5—Matthew 12:30

“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me…”

October 6—Mark 4:22

For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light.

October 7—Matthew 9:21

…for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”

October 8—Matthew 10:26

“But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.”

October 9—Matthew 14:27

But Jesus spoke to them at once, “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage, I am here!”

October 10—Matthew 15:18

But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you.

October 11—Matthew 15:31

The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.

October 12—Matthew 16:15-16

Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”

October 13—Matthew 18:18

“I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

October 14—John 8:7

They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”

October 15—Luke 11:9-10

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened for you.  For everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

October 16—Luke 11:23

“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.”

October 17—Luke 12:40

“You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”

October 18—Luke 14:11

“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

October 19—Luke 16:10

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.”

October 20—Luke 17:33

“If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it.”

October 21—Luke 18:14

“I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

October 22—Mark 10:43-45

“But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

October 23—Luke 19:38

“Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”

October 24—Matthew 21:22

“You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”

October 25—Matthew 21:42

Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the scriptures? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’”

October 26—Matthew 23:12

“But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

October 27—Mark 13:22

“For false Messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.”

October 28—Matthew 25:29

“To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.”

October 29—Mark 14:24

And he said to them, “This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many.”

October 30—John 14:3

“When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”

October 31—John 16:33

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world.”

**All verses are written from the New Living Translation.

**The verses are taken from the NLT Chronological One-Year Bible from YouVersion

September Scriptures

For the past few years, I have taken on the goal of reading my Bible through one of the one-year reading plans.  Mostly, I’ve used the NLT One-Year Chronological Bible. I seem to prefer this particular one because it’s written as it happened, in chronological order.  It’s interesting to me, when reading the Bible this way, how events in history transpired simultaneously through some of the different books and also the different order of the books from how the Bible is laid out.

Like I said, I read the One-Year Bible for several years using this particular version.  But last year, 2019, I didn’t just want to read the Bible, I wanted to make sure I got something out of the daily reading. So I decided I would find one verse or scripture passage that spoke the most to me during each day of Bible reading.

My goal was to read the Bible each day, highlight the specific verse or scripture passage that I found and then write it down to keep in a journal. I used a certain highlighter color so I could keep track of which verse I picked for the daily reading, versus other highlights already in there.

Then, late last year, I decided I wanted to do more with my daily verses, besides keeping them in a journal.  I wanted to share them. So for each month in 2020, I plan to post the scriptures I found for that month in 2019.  

My prayer for you is that as you read these scriptures that spoke to me last year, they will speak to you right here and now; either to something you’re searching for, an answer you need or just confirmation of what God has been speaking to you.

September 1—Ezekiel 33:7

“Now, son of man, I am making you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I say and warn them for me.”

 

September 2—1 Chronicles 6:49

Only Aaron and his descendants served as priests. They presented the offerings on the altar of incense, and they performed all the other duties related to the Most Holy Place. They made atonement for Israel by doing everything that Moses, the servant of God, had commanded them.

 

September 3—Daniel 4:37

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of Heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.”

 

September 4—Ezekiel 43:12

And this is the basic law of the Temple: absolute holiness! Th entire top of the mountain where the Temple is built is holy. Yes, this is the basic law of the Temple.

 

September 5—Ezekiel 44:2

And the Lord said to me, “This gate must remain closed; it will never again be opened. No one will ever open it and pass through, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered here. Therefore, it must always remain shut.”

 

September 6—Ezekiel 47:12

Fruit trees of all kinds will grow along both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a new crop every month, for they are watered by this river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing.”

 

September 7—Daniel 7:14

He has given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His Kingdom will never be destroyed.

 

September 8—Daniel 6:26-27

“I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, and he will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed; and his rule will never end. He rescues and saves his people; he performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”

 

September 9—Ezra 3:11

With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the Lord: “He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!” Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the Lord because the foundation of the Lord’s Temple had been laid.

 

September 10—Daniel 12:3

Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.

 

September 11—Zechariah 2:5

“..then I, myself, will be protective wall of fire around Jerusalem, says the Lord. And I will be the glory inside the city!”

 

September 12—Zechariah 8:8

I will bring them home again to live safely in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be faithful and just toward them as their God.

 

September 13—Zechariah 14:9

And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord—his name alone will be worshiped.

 

September 14—Esther 4:14

“…if you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for such a time as this?”

 

September 15—Esther 9:25

But when Esther came before the king, he issued a decree causing Haman’s evil plot to backfire, and Haman and his sons were impaled on a sharpened pole.

 

September 16—Ezra 7:27

Praise the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who made the king want to beautify the Temple of the Lord in Jersusalem!

 

September 17—Nehemiah 1:5

Then I said, “O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his command,…”

 

September 18—Nehemiah 4:14

Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!”

 

September 19—Nehemiah 8:6

Then Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and all the people chanted, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

 

September 20—Nehemiah 9:8

When he had proved himself faithful, you made a covenant with him to give him and his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites. And you have done what you promised, for you are always true to your word.

 

September 21—1 Chronicles 9:26

The four chief gatekeepers, all Levites, were trusted officials, for they were responsible for the rooms and treasuries at the house of God.

 

September 22—Nehemiah 13:14

Remember this good deed, O my God, and do not forget all that I have faithfully done for the Temple of my God and its services.

 

September 23—Malachi 3:10

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!”

 

September 24—John 1:4

The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

 

September 25—Luke 2:30-32

“…I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

 

September 26—Matthew 3:16

After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.

 

September 27—John 1:23

John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!’”

 

September 28—John 4:26

Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!”

 

September 29—Luke 4:36

Amazed, the people exclaimed, “What authority and power this man’s words possess! Even evil spirits obey him, and they flee at his command!”

 

September 30—Matthew 8:3

Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

 

**All verses are written from the New Living Translation.

**The verses are taken from the NLT Chronological One-Year Bible from YouVersion

May Scriptures

For the past few years, I have taken on the goal of reading my Bible through one of the one-year reading plans.  Mostly, I’ve used the NLT One-Year Chronological Bible. I seem to prefer this particular one because it’s written as it happened, in chronological order.  It’s interesting to me, when reading the Bible this way, how events in history transpired simultaneously through some of the different books and also the different order of the books from how the Bible is laid out.

Like I said, I read the One-Year Bible for several years using this particular version.  But last year, 2019, I didn’t just want to read the Bible, I wanted to make sure I got something out of the daily reading. So I decided I would find one verse or scripture passage that spoke the most to me during each day of Bible reading.

My goal was to read the Bible each day, highlight the specific verse or scripture passage that I found and then write it down to keep in a journal. I used a certain highlighter color so I could keep track of which verse I picked for the daily reading, versus other highlights already in there.

Then, late last year, I decided I wanted to do more with my daily verses, besides keeping them in a journal.  I wanted to share them. So for each month in 2020, I plan to post the scriptures I found for that month in 2019.  

My prayer for you is that as you read these scriptures that spoke to me last year, they will speak to you right here and now; either to something you’re searching for, an answer you need or just confirmation of what God has been speaking to you.

May 1—Psalm 18:2

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

May 2—2 Samuel 24:24

But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.

May 3—1 Chronicles 23:1

When David was an old man, he appointed his son Solomon to be king over Israel.

May 4—1 Chronicles 27:32

Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a wise counselor to the king, a man of great insight, and a scribe. Jehiel the Hacmonite was responsible for tracking the king’s sons.

May 5—1 Chronicles 29:9

The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, and King David was filled with joy.

May 6—Psalm 4:4

Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.

May 7—Psalm 20:5

May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God. May the Lord answer all your prayers.

May 8—Psalm 23:4

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

May 9—Psalm 31:24

So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!

May 10—Psalm 37:4

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

May 11—Psalm 40:16

But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!”

May 12—Psalm 66:19-20

But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love for me.

May 13—Psalm 86:15

But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.

May 14—Psalm 103:12

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

May 15—Psalm 131:3

O Israel, put your hope in the Lord—now and always.

May 16—Psalm 145:13

For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does.

May 17—Psalm 73:26

My health may fail, and my spirit may group weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

May 18—Psalm 78:7

So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.

May 19—Psalm 82:3

“Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute…”

May 20—1 Kings 3:9

“give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”

May 21—1 Kings 3:28

When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice.

May 22—1 Kings 7:51

So King Solomon finished all his work on the Temple of the Lord. Then he brought all the gifts his father, David, had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the various articles—and he stored them in the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple.

May 23—1 Kings 8:23

…and he prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.”

May 24—2 Chronicles 7:14

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

May 25—1 Kings 10:9

Praise the Lord your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.

May 26—Psalm 72:19

Praise his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen!

May 27—Proverbs 1:3

Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just and fair.

May 28—Proverbs 6:16-19

There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who shows discord in a family.

May 29—Proverbs 9:10

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

May 30—Proverbs 12:28

The way of the godly leads to life; that path does not lead to death.

May 31—Proverbs 15:16

Better to have little, with fear for the Lord, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil.

 

**All verses are written from the New Living Translation.

**The verses are taken from the NLT Chronological One-Year Bible from YouVersion.

Renewed and Restored

purpose

March is known as the month where spring emerges; where grass starts to turn green, where flowers are in bloom and the leaves of trees begin to appear. March is kind of like the renewing season, a restoring of what once was but went away and is new again.

For me, March has always been a great month of celebration. When I was in high school, March was the month that my now-husband asked me to be his girlfriend. Mind you, it took him 45 minutes, standing in my parents’ driveway, to ask me to be his girlfriend. And the fact that I was in the shower when he arrived (I had a banquet to attend that evening) and I stood in that driveway with him with wet hair, no makeup and mismatched clothes, and he still asked me anyway…yep he’s a keeper!! 🙂

Two years after we had been dating, another great thing happened in March. His little sister was born on our exact anniversary (bet you thought I was going to say we got married…haha…keep reading).

Looking many years into the future, another great day in March arrived…our wedding day! We got married 4 days before the date of our dating anniversary. And last weekend, we celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. I’ll let you do the math on that one to see how long we’ve really been together!! 🙂

So for us, March has always been a great time of year, with many things to celebrate. But last year, March took on a whole new meaning for us. Added to our month of great memories and celebration came sadness and disappointment. Last March was when we found out we were pregnant and then three short weeks later, found out we were no longer pregnant. What was once a great month had been shattered and our hearts broken into thousands of little pieces.

A year has now passed and the healing continues. I look back on this past week with excitement for our anniversary and all that we’ve accomplished in our 11 years of marriage. But I also look at this past week with a sadness that still resonates in my spirit; a longing for a hole to be filled and for something to take away the void that remains. The time is ripe for God to renew and restore us and for our broken hearts to be mended in a way that only God can.

As this blog was percolating in my brain this morning, the scripture I kept hearing in my spirit is found in Malachi 3:10. This scripture is mostly known for the references to tithing, but this morning I kept hearing over and over this one specific part, “…and see if I don’t open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams.” POUR OUT BLESSINGS. This is going to be my scripture of renewing, of restoration…God is going to pour out his blessings on me and my husband and the family that He is going to give us and it will be BEYOND OUR WILDEST DREAMS!

The loss will always remain and the memory will always be there, but I stand at the ready for God to pour out His blessings on us that will be beyond our wildest dreams.

Approval Seeker

Okay, raise your hand if you constantly seek approval for the things you do?  Or, if you sometimes (fibber) seek approval for the things you do?

You can’t see me, but I’m not only raising my hand, I’m jumping up and down so you can see that my hand is raised high in the sky!!!  Sad, I know!

I’m really bad at this!  I try my best to be humble and most of the time I can succeed at being humble.  But when I do something really well or create something that’s really beautiful or write something that I think is profound, I really want someone to comment on it and tell me, “Good job” or “Way to go”.  Or like when I really clean the house.  Sorry about this…I love my house to be clean…I just don’t want to be the one that has to do the work! So, when I really clean it and it sparkles, I want my husband to (1) notice and (2) tell me how great it looks!  Really, is it too much to ask!?!?!!

So, here’s the basis for why I’m writing about this brutally honest subject.  A few weeks ago, our women’s ministry at my church launched a new website and within that website we started a blog.  As the editor and poster for all of our blog writers, I post about two blogs each week…giving each blog a chance to reach out and really soak in with our followers and to attract new followers.  We’ve had some great feedback and “likes” to the blogs that have been posted over the past few weeks.  Until this week.  I posted my first blog on our new site and for days (really only a couple, but it seemed longer), we didn’t receive any new followers, “likes” or comments.  I was pretty sure I scared off all of our current followers and any new potential followers.  I refer to it as my “in-your-face” blog because I wrote about offense and being offended.  Our women’s bible study is studying about offense this next semester, so I thought it’d be a great way to advertise for our group by writing a blog about it.  If I have peaked your curiosity at all, you can check it out here (http://cherishedministriesfcfc.com/2014/01/26/who-me-offended/).

I say all of that to say this…why does it matter so much to me what anyone thinks of what I wrote?  Do I really think that this one post is going to make people like me less?  Compared to other blogs I’ve read it’s not very controversial; yet, it’s a topic that makes people feel uncomfortable.  And because I know I don’t like to feel uncomfortable, I guess I was overly concerned about how the blog was received.

And just to prove what a great sense of humor God has…as I was writing this blog, I took a break and was looking on Facebook and ran across this post by Christine Caine:

approval seeker

Talk about snapping me back into attention!!  And that’s really the only thing I need to remember…it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about me, says about me, likes or dislikes about me and my talents, gifts and abilities…the only One I need to concern myself with is my Heavenly Father.  He loves me unconditionally, all the time, every day, no matter what!!

“…For God has said, ‘I will never fail you.  I will never abandon you.’ So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?’” ~Hebrews 13:5-6 (NLT)