I am finding out that when you ask most people, at least in America, "What do you dream about for yourself?" the response is usually consumed with a bigger house, better job, more money,etc. Don't get me wrong, thats not everyones response nor is it a bad thing. Some respond that they want children, less stress, opprtunities to just bless other people. The dreams I don't hear much about are the ones that touch the very core of who we are as people. I mean I never hear someone say "I would love to experience something this year that changes the way I see the world."
What if our dreams and hopes were BIG? I mean really BIG. What if we decided that the rest of this year we were going to trust God and believe that he has some life changing dreams that are placed within us, but its our job to find them and search them out.
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."
From this verse we get the message that God indeed has a plan. Not only is that plan for us personally but it involves our future. So I guess once we agree that this is what God is saying, then the next thing we have to decide is, do we believe he is telling the truth? Does God have a plan for me? Does that plan include hope and a future and if so, do I believe he wants the very best for me?
You won't know the true character and heart of God unless you spend time with him. He longs for you to spend time with him. Unless you get to know who God is, you won't easily trust him.
Here is a glimpse of Gods character in Ephesians 3:20 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..." I love that God can out dream us! I love that there is nothing we could ask for or imagine that he can't top. So then, why arent we dreaming really BIG for ourselves? We dream big for our children.
God is a gentlemen. He won't force himself on us. He wants us to come to him, have faith in him, believe that no matter what - he always has our best interest in mind.
Today - Dream....Dream BIG...Reach...Search out...Seek....and Trust that even if you can't see the whole picture, he is putting things together.
Gods kids should be the biggest dreamers that exist because He is mighty!!
Enjoy today and don't miss Him around you.
B3cky
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Meet Me At The Pool :)
Today is a hard day for me. I am bombarded by distractions, concerns, deadlines and my heart is hurting today for people that are close to me and I can't fix them or their situation. I feel helpless and heavy hearted. So I go to the place I know best, when no one else understands. That place is Gods word and the feet of Jesus. I would love to say that I get instant relief everytime, but thats just not true. Sometimes I must Search out Gods word and Seek His presence before peace and understanding come.
Today while searching, the Holy Spirit brought me to the passage in John 5:1-8. Its a passage about when Jesus went to Jersusalem for a feast and while there he was going by a pool named Bethesda. There was a large number of disabled people there which included the blind, lame, and the paralyzed. One particular man that was there had been an invalid for 38 years. The passage states that when Jesus saw him there he asked him a question in verse 6 - "Do you want to get well?" I find it interesting that Jesus asked this man a question that would have obviously had been a huge YES! At least you would think thats what his answer would have been, but thats not what the man said. This man gave Jesus an excuse. Verse 7 states: "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." While I think it would have been nice if someone had helped this gentleman into the pool, why did he not do everything within his power to get where healing could have occurred? Maybe moving a little closer everyday for 38 yrs could have gotten him to where he needed to be.
Then just when I start to criticize this man, I am reminded of how my day is going, that I have such a heavy heart today. I know that by moving a little closer to where healing can take place will change who I am in this moment. However, my flesh is weary and that seems to decrease my motivation and determination. A rut develops easily and if not quickly taken care of, settling for discouragement can be easier than fighting for a moment of being renewed.
This passage goes on to say in verse 8 - "Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk". Verse 9 - "At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked."
I rejoice in the fact that Jesus saw this mans need and chose to respond and give him a new life. His life had changed forever, nothing would be the same from this point on. I am encouraged because even with the excuse of "other people" the man was given an opportunity to walk. I am also reminded through this passage that God requires something from those of us that long to be healed, changed, restored and renewed. This mans healing required that he admit what he needed and it required obedience. If this man had not gotten up and picked up his mat and walked, I believe he would have died at that pool an invalid always longing but never receiving. This story could have been very different.
Whatever you are dealing with today that has made you tired and weary, remember that you are not alone. God is longing to touch you in the middle of your situation and give you the strength to walk through it. However, it does not come without effort on your part. Listen very closley to His voice. He is the God of ALL wisdom. He will instruct you on what to do, then all you need to do is be obedient and DO it!
Im praying today that no matter where you need guidence that you will seek His presence, His wisdom and be obedient. There is no greater place to put your situation than in his hands.
God Bless
B3cky
Today while searching, the Holy Spirit brought me to the passage in John 5:1-8. Its a passage about when Jesus went to Jersusalem for a feast and while there he was going by a pool named Bethesda. There was a large number of disabled people there which included the blind, lame, and the paralyzed. One particular man that was there had been an invalid for 38 years. The passage states that when Jesus saw him there he asked him a question in verse 6 - "Do you want to get well?" I find it interesting that Jesus asked this man a question that would have obviously had been a huge YES! At least you would think thats what his answer would have been, but thats not what the man said. This man gave Jesus an excuse. Verse 7 states: "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." While I think it would have been nice if someone had helped this gentleman into the pool, why did he not do everything within his power to get where healing could have occurred? Maybe moving a little closer everyday for 38 yrs could have gotten him to where he needed to be.
Then just when I start to criticize this man, I am reminded of how my day is going, that I have such a heavy heart today. I know that by moving a little closer to where healing can take place will change who I am in this moment. However, my flesh is weary and that seems to decrease my motivation and determination. A rut develops easily and if not quickly taken care of, settling for discouragement can be easier than fighting for a moment of being renewed.
This passage goes on to say in verse 8 - "Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk". Verse 9 - "At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked."
I rejoice in the fact that Jesus saw this mans need and chose to respond and give him a new life. His life had changed forever, nothing would be the same from this point on. I am encouraged because even with the excuse of "other people" the man was given an opportunity to walk. I am also reminded through this passage that God requires something from those of us that long to be healed, changed, restored and renewed. This mans healing required that he admit what he needed and it required obedience. If this man had not gotten up and picked up his mat and walked, I believe he would have died at that pool an invalid always longing but never receiving. This story could have been very different.
Whatever you are dealing with today that has made you tired and weary, remember that you are not alone. God is longing to touch you in the middle of your situation and give you the strength to walk through it. However, it does not come without effort on your part. Listen very closley to His voice. He is the God of ALL wisdom. He will instruct you on what to do, then all you need to do is be obedient and DO it!
Im praying today that no matter where you need guidence that you will seek His presence, His wisdom and be obedient. There is no greater place to put your situation than in his hands.
God Bless
B3cky
Monday, March 12, 2012
The Smell of Rain...
Today my thoughts are on the simple things, the things we take for granted. One of my favorite things in the world is the rain. It brings a feeling of refreshment and new beginnings to my soul. I love the sound of rain, the smell of rain as it pours and when its over. I love that it brings back to life all the flowers, trees, plants, etc that are craving water. I love dancing in the rain when I'm all by myself or with my husband. Rain is extremely romantic and calming to my spirit.
As much as I love the rain, it also reminds me constantly of the importance of balance. To much rain is not a good thing, then again, to much of anything is not a good thing. Without a proper balance things around us are destroyed, often beyond repair. God is so gracious to provide us with the things we need in life. He allows us freedom of choice and at times we indulge even in the good things. We sometimes sit back and have to say "Ugh...that was so good, but I ate waayyy to much".
Today I want to encourage you to stop long enough to notice the simple things, like the rain. Enjoy the warmth of the sunshine, the sound of water running, the miracle of life in the small overlooked areas of your schedule. Then write a small note to yourself and post it somewhere to remind yourself of the amazing things around you that reflect the God of creation. Stop long enough to feel the breath of God on your neck and listen to His voice as he points you to the miracles you pass by everyday. He longs for you to not only get through your day but for you to be amazed and truly enjoy the world around you with new eyes.
I leave you with this verse today:
Joel 2:23
Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains as before.
I'm praying today that you are in awe of His presence and keenly aware of the little often overlooked gifts he sends you. May your day be filled with AWE....
Love-B3cky
As much as I love the rain, it also reminds me constantly of the importance of balance. To much rain is not a good thing, then again, to much of anything is not a good thing. Without a proper balance things around us are destroyed, often beyond repair. God is so gracious to provide us with the things we need in life. He allows us freedom of choice and at times we indulge even in the good things. We sometimes sit back and have to say "Ugh...that was so good, but I ate waayyy to much".
Today I want to encourage you to stop long enough to notice the simple things, like the rain. Enjoy the warmth of the sunshine, the sound of water running, the miracle of life in the small overlooked areas of your schedule. Then write a small note to yourself and post it somewhere to remind yourself of the amazing things around you that reflect the God of creation. Stop long enough to feel the breath of God on your neck and listen to His voice as he points you to the miracles you pass by everyday. He longs for you to not only get through your day but for you to be amazed and truly enjoy the world around you with new eyes.
I leave you with this verse today:
Joel 2:23
Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains as before.
I'm praying today that you are in awe of His presence and keenly aware of the little often overlooked gifts he sends you. May your day be filled with AWE....
Love-B3cky
Thursday, March 1, 2012
"Do you see anything?"
Have you ever been at a place in your life when things just don't look clear? Have you ever experienced a time when there was so much going on that you struggled to make sense of things and then started to wonder....Where are you Lord?? I am sure all of us at some point have (and some of us will) experience these moments, its part of life.
The question..."Do you see anything?" is a question that Jesus asked a blind man after touching his eyes to restore sight.
Whether our sight impairment is physical, spiritual or circumstantial we can be assured that Jesus sees things clearly and his desire is for us to trust him until we see clearly as well.
In Mark 8:22-25 Jesus is introduced to this blind man that wants to see. He takes him by the hand and leads him outside the city, spits in his eyes, puts his hands on him and asks the questions..."Do you see anything?" The mans reply indicates that he does not see clearly right away and remarks that the people he sees look like trees. Jesus once again places his hands on the mans eyes and the passage states:
Be sure of one thing here, after an encounter with Christ things will become clear, questions will be answered, wisdom will be given, understanding will be established and even sight will be restored. Christ does not promise that life will get easier but all throughout scripture we see where he promises if we seek him we will find him, and he longs to give us wisdom if we ask. He also promises that we will never be alone. I believe this mans life was changed not only for his time on earth but for eternity. It would be impossible to have an encounter with Christ and not walk away different.
Be encouraged today, if you are struggling with impaired vision, whether its physical, spiritual or circumstantial that an encounter with Christ will allow you to see everything clearly. Don't get lost in all the outside chaos that can distract you, but trust Him! He is who he says he is and he keeps his word! I don't know anyone that has all the answers to this life (except Christ of course). But I am thankful life is an adventure of discovery and opportunities for us to encounter the one that has it all figured out.
I'm praying for you and for your vision to be clear. Enjoy your gift of today.
God Bless!
B3cky
The question..."Do you see anything?" is a question that Jesus asked a blind man after touching his eyes to restore sight.
Whether our sight impairment is physical, spiritual or circumstantial we can be assured that Jesus sees things clearly and his desire is for us to trust him until we see clearly as well.
In Mark 8:22-25 Jesus is introduced to this blind man that wants to see. He takes him by the hand and leads him outside the city, spits in his eyes, puts his hands on him and asks the questions..."Do you see anything?" The mans reply indicates that he does not see clearly right away and remarks that the people he sees look like trees. Jesus once again places his hands on the mans eyes and the passage states:
Mark 8:25 "Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly."
Be encouraged today, if you are struggling with impaired vision, whether its physical, spiritual or circumstantial that an encounter with Christ will allow you to see everything clearly. Don't get lost in all the outside chaos that can distract you, but trust Him! He is who he says he is and he keeps his word! I don't know anyone that has all the answers to this life (except Christ of course). But I am thankful life is an adventure of discovery and opportunities for us to encounter the one that has it all figured out.
I'm praying for you and for your vision to be clear. Enjoy your gift of today.
God Bless!
B3cky
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
A New Creation...A New Start...A New You :)
There are alot of places my mind goes when I start thinking about what I would like to change about myself. I think about my health, my financial state, my career and even my walk with God gets the evaluation and notes of change to consider. Although I do what I call my "spiritual check up" at least once a year, I find it extremely difficult when others look at me and decide that reguardless of what I say "there will always be things about me that will NEVER change." Its hard to attempt to work on old behaviors and atitudes while others try to keep you in the same box you fought so hard to get out of. I guesss thats human nature...but then again so is sin.
I find much hope in Gods word. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
I love this verse for many reasons. First the obvious is that it is a true fact not a possibility. It doesn't say if anyone is in Christ he could possibly be a new creation, but he IS a new creation. That gives me hope. I love that the old has gone and the new has come. God is so good about replacing the old stuff with some really great things that we would never dream of asking him for.
The other reason I love this verse is because it ends with a exclamation point (!). Its as if someone is shouting this reminder from the top of their lungs. I have so felt like this before. Sometimes I even feel like shouting it to myself as a reminder that no matter how I feel, I am not who I use to be!!!
So try to remember that the only requirement that you need for change is Christ. The old does not go away and the new does not come unless you are in Christ. Believe Christ is who he says he is, believe he never lies, confess your faults and your need for him and ask him to help you walk daily with him as your Lord. Life will not all of a sudden be easy but I promise it will never be the same and neither will you!
Im praying for you. Be strong. Remember when you look in the mirror that Christ could not ever love you any more or any less than he already does. Also remember that no matter what others think you are that Christ sees who you are becoming and he loves everything about you. Stay connected. He is the only one that really matters anyway.
I find much hope in Gods word. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
I love this verse for many reasons. First the obvious is that it is a true fact not a possibility. It doesn't say if anyone is in Christ he could possibly be a new creation, but he IS a new creation. That gives me hope. I love that the old has gone and the new has come. God is so good about replacing the old stuff with some really great things that we would never dream of asking him for.
The other reason I love this verse is because it ends with a exclamation point (!). Its as if someone is shouting this reminder from the top of their lungs. I have so felt like this before. Sometimes I even feel like shouting it to myself as a reminder that no matter how I feel, I am not who I use to be!!!
So try to remember that the only requirement that you need for change is Christ. The old does not go away and the new does not come unless you are in Christ. Believe Christ is who he says he is, believe he never lies, confess your faults and your need for him and ask him to help you walk daily with him as your Lord. Life will not all of a sudden be easy but I promise it will never be the same and neither will you!
Im praying for you. Be strong. Remember when you look in the mirror that Christ could not ever love you any more or any less than he already does. Also remember that no matter what others think you are that Christ sees who you are becoming and he loves everything about you. Stay connected. He is the only one that really matters anyway.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Thursday, February 2, 2012
To Have Faith...
I think faith is an issue we take for granted. We live in a world where we can get so distracted and put our faith in all the wrong things. God calls us as His children to not only have faith but to exercise our faith in Him.
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) states " And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
I know that as Christ followers we want to, and hopefully do, live our lives in such a way that honors our king. However, there are days that everyone struggles with their faith and sorting out what they believe. This is not a bad thing. I believe that it actually draws us closer to the father. But we must seek the right source of our faith and not be led down a deceptive path. This verse in Hebrews clearly says that if we want to please God then we must have faith. It goes on to speak about the importance of "earnestly" seeking after Him. To seek after something means to pursue, or chase after. How many times do we "chase after" something in this life? We chase that new job, a new car, better body, better boyfriend or girlfriend, popularity, and the list goes on and on. If we are chasing after something then in a sense - are we worshiping that thing we are chasing?? Anything that we spend most of our time thinking about can become our "little god".
Who would not want a reward from God anyway? The verse goes on to say that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. I cannot imagine receiving anything better from anyone else. We serve a God that knows us intimately, he made us, he knows us to the very core. If he is going to reward us it must be a gift that goes beyond our understanding, then again, what if the gift he has for you today is to sense his presence and peace so deeply that you can hear his heartbeat and smell his sweet presence? I will take it!!! Nothing could be better.
If you are struggling today to believe, I am praying for you. Know that sometimes its not so much about believing in him as it is to believe Him!! We can follow him our whole life but if we don't believe Him when he speaks, we miss out. Try today to find Him all around you. Quiet yourself, ask Him to draw near and let him love on you. There is no greater thing than letting Jesus love all over you.
Dont ever stop believing and when you think you may be close....tell him to help you. He cant help you if you dont let him.
Hebrews 11:6, 1Tim6:12, James 2:22, Romans 1:12,17
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) states " And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
I know that as Christ followers we want to, and hopefully do, live our lives in such a way that honors our king. However, there are days that everyone struggles with their faith and sorting out what they believe. This is not a bad thing. I believe that it actually draws us closer to the father. But we must seek the right source of our faith and not be led down a deceptive path. This verse in Hebrews clearly says that if we want to please God then we must have faith. It goes on to speak about the importance of "earnestly" seeking after Him. To seek after something means to pursue, or chase after. How many times do we "chase after" something in this life? We chase that new job, a new car, better body, better boyfriend or girlfriend, popularity, and the list goes on and on. If we are chasing after something then in a sense - are we worshiping that thing we are chasing?? Anything that we spend most of our time thinking about can become our "little god".
Who would not want a reward from God anyway? The verse goes on to say that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. I cannot imagine receiving anything better from anyone else. We serve a God that knows us intimately, he made us, he knows us to the very core. If he is going to reward us it must be a gift that goes beyond our understanding, then again, what if the gift he has for you today is to sense his presence and peace so deeply that you can hear his heartbeat and smell his sweet presence? I will take it!!! Nothing could be better.
If you are struggling today to believe, I am praying for you. Know that sometimes its not so much about believing in him as it is to believe Him!! We can follow him our whole life but if we don't believe Him when he speaks, we miss out. Try today to find Him all around you. Quiet yourself, ask Him to draw near and let him love on you. There is no greater thing than letting Jesus love all over you.
Dont ever stop believing and when you think you may be close....tell him to help you. He cant help you if you dont let him.
Hebrews 11:6, 1Tim6:12, James 2:22, Romans 1:12,17
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