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Longing for Christ: Peace

Thanks for joining me on the second week of celebrating Advent. My post last week was about hope, and today’s focus will be on peace. One of my favorite verses within the Christmas story is Luke 2:14 which states, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Not only did God give us the gift of Eternal life when He sacrificed His son on the cross, but with that came the gift of peace. All through the Bible there are references to the peace of God.

Because of this peace we can remain calm during chaos.

Because of this peace broken relationships can be restored.

Because of this peace fear no longer reigns supreme. God’s peace gives us victory and replaces our fears with His love.

Lastly, because of this peace the trials of life do not have to overwhelm us. As Philippians 4 states, God will give us peace beyond our understanding.

There are seasons in life when it seems this type of peace is impossible, but in Christ it is not. Two years ago when my health began to decline and my colon was removed, I never dreamed that years later things would be this difficult. I had hoped the surgery would eventually make me stronger and give me The quality of life I desired. However, that is not what happened. My health is still in a steady decline but life is not bad. Sure, I wish my health was better but thanks to God, my life is still good. The reason I can write these words, and genuinely mean them, is because of the peace I’ve found in Christ. He never fails to give me the peace I need everyday, and it is always enough.

Amidst the sickness, weariness, and hard days, God’s peace can always be found and that is what keeps me going, His peace is the greatest gift I have been given this year, and it can be yours as well. Whether you are going through a joyous season, or one with trials, God’s peace is yours for the taking. He desires and is delighted when we surrender our lives to Him and accept His peace. When you relinquish control, and give up your rights to Jesus, and let Him rule you will never be without it.

Spend some time talking to Jesus this week and allow His peace to fill your heart. It will make the road ahead easier to walk!

Articles, Books, Reading

Life Creative Book Review

About the Book:

LifCreative: Inspiration for Today’s Renaissance Mom (Kregel, September 2016)
What was God thinking when He created you creative and then gave you children?
Creative moms often feel as though they must lay their passions down. But God had something special in mind for the creative woman during this intense season of mothering.
In this Pinterest age of handcrafted children’s parties, Instagram photos of beautifully decorated homes, and blogs filled with poetry and prose, it is clear that we are in the midst of a brand new artistic renaissance. Not one born in Italian cathedrals or Harlem jazz clubs, but rather in kitchens, nurseries, and living rooms around the world. Mothers, working in the cracks and crevices of each hectic day, are adorning the world with their gifts, and they’re showing all of us the beauty of this Life Creative.
In this book, you’ll learn:
—Why the world needs your art
—How this Life Creative begins at home
—When art can turn a profit
—Your part in this modern day Renaissance
Life Creative paints the stories of moms, just like you, who are fitting their inspired lives into the everyday, ordinary places of motherhood. Women like home decorator Melissa Michaels and jewelry designer Lisa Leonard, author Angie Smith, recording artist Ellie Holcomb, and many more.

Learn more and purchase a copy here.

My Thoughts:

Even though I am not a mom, I have been a fan of Stuart’s for a while now, and I have been looking forward to this new release. It definitely did not disappoint. If you are a mom with a desire to be creative, and a longing to participate in your craft — this book is for you. Many may think that you can’t be a successful artist and mom, but that is not true. Life Creative shares the stories of mom’s who are sharing their art all while being successful mothers. Each of the women who share their story is an inspiration and example of bringing their individual art into the mundane areas of motherhood. This is a must read for all moms who are trying to balance life, motherhood, and art.

I was given a copy of this book by Litfuse Publicity.

About the Authors:

Wendy Speake is a trained actress and heartfelt teacher. She ministers to women’s hearts through storytelling and life applications, utilizing drama, comedy, poetry and the study of God’s Word. During her career in Hollywood, Speake found herself longing to tell stories that edify and encourage women. She is the author of “Triggers: Exchanging Parents’ Angry Reactions for Gentle Biblical Responses” (BRU Press, 2015). Speake is a wife and homeschooling mother of three boys. ||**|| Kelli Stuart is a writer and a storyteller at heart. She has written for several websites including The Huffington Post, 5 Minutes for Mom, The MOB Society, (in)courage and Compassion International. She is the author of three books, including “Like a River from Its Course” (Kregel Publications, 2016) and a noted speaker. Stuart her husband live in Florida with their four children. Find out more about Wendy Speake and at https://www.lifecreative.me.

Articles

A Lesson From the Cross

Recently, I’ve been dwelling on Jesus and His sacrifice for me on the cross. He suffered and died for me so that I would not have to spend Eternity in Hell. He loved you and I that much. His resurrection revealed His great power, and new life. Death had been overcome.

The past few months I have dealt with intense physical suffering. Basically that has been the case for two years, but it has been worse lately. Because of that, my emotions have been all over the place. I have gone through a period of grieving — grieving for things lost and “for what might have been.” As Proverbs 13:12 states, “a hope deferred makes the heart sick,” and that is definitely true in my situation. Years ago, I felt God was calling me into ministry but these circumstances are not what I had in mind. However, this is what God had in mind and He can use any circumstances to glorify Himself. God never promises an easy road, but promises to be with us no matter what comes our way. There is not one person in Scripture who was close to the Lord that did not experience experience suffering. Some examples are Paul, Moses, Abraham, David, and even Jesus Himself.

As I have been reading through the Gospels, the Lord has been reminding me once again of the great depth of Jesus’ suffering and His attitude through it all. Jesus is the model that we need to follow during hard times. Prior to being arrested, Jesus displayed major grief and agony. His suffering was so intense that He sweated blood. However, through all of it, He never lost control or got angry. He never allowed His emotions to affect Him or others in a negative way. His suffering did not cause Him to sin.

In the Garden of Gethsemene Jesus prayed the following prayer, ” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). He cried out to the Lord and shared His heart but never complained or had a pity party for Himself. He trusted the Father and wanted His will to be done above all else, even if it meant death on a cross. Jesus believed His Father knew best and surrendered to His will even though He knew what was ahead. Pain and death didn’t deter Him because He loved and trusted in the perfect will of God. Following the arrest when He had the opportunity to fight for Himself and talk back to His captors, He did not. He remained calm with every word and action He took, and pressed on to the fate that was before Him. God’s mission to give us Eternal Life was more important to Jesus than saving Himself. Because of His attitude and selfless act, I am given the grace and strength I need to endure what comes my way each day. Instead of whining, complaining, and getting angry with life and those around me, I need to adopt the attitude of Jesus saying, “Not my will Lord, but yours be done.” Jesus is bigger and stronger than any battle you will face on this earth, and with His help, you can get through anything that comes your way. Surrender your life and circumstances to Him. When you do, you will notice that your anger and complaints suddenly turns into peace and trust.

I am so thankful for the death and resurrection of Jesus, and nothing is more important to me than to obey Christ no matter the cost. He is worth any amount of suffering!

Articles

Health Update

Hi friends,

I want to thank you all for your prayers! God is good, and I felt well enough on Thanksgiving to have lunch and spend time with my family. That was very important to me and I’m super thankful for that the time we had together. However, as the weekend progressed, I felt my infection getting worse again. I heard from my latest urine culture today and I’m starting on another round of iv antibiotics and fluids.

My bladder has multiple bacterias which makes it hard to get a clear reading. Please pray for the doctor to have clarity and wisdom to know how to continue to treat this. Pray that this round of medicine works to calm the infection, for my pain to subside, and for me to get some good rest. I love the holiday season so pray things improve before Christmas.

Also, pray that I keep the right attitude and mindset. I know that God can use all circumstances to glorify Himself and that is what I am trying to remember with each day.

I am so thankful for each of you. Your prayers and encouragement mean the world to me. Please let me know how I can be praying for you!

Oh, and be sure to read my first post in my Advent Series — Longing for Christ. Advent started yesterday and I will write a new post each Sunday for the next three weeks leading up to Christmas. Read and be encouraged!

Advent, Articles, Blog Series, Christian Living, Devotionals

Longing For Christ – Hope

I have been waiting for this season for months. It is my favorite time of year. No matter what is going on in life, I am always extra hopeful during this season.

Today marks the beginning of Advent and I look forward to celebrating and focusing my area of study on the anticipation and birth of Christ. Advent means “coming,” as in “Christ is coming.” It represents the expectation, anticipation, and preparation of the birth of Jesus. Jesus was born as fully God and fully man, and even as the King of the world, He was born in a lowly manger to identify with us. He came for us so that we may have the hope of Eternal life, and to live and reign in our hearts.

His coming fulfills the Old Testament prophecies such as the one fromJeremiah 33:14-16. It states, “The days are coming, ’declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Savior.’”

Lately as I have dwelled upon the hope of Christ, I immediately think of the words from the famous Christmas hymn, “Oh Holy Night.” “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.” This year has been a weary one so it does my soul good to read and study about this blessed hope. I long for Christ and need His hope today more than ever before. I’ve always been a very hopeful person but that hope has been challenged as my world has been turned upside down from health problems the past couple of years.

I am Type A by nature and have always had a plan or something to hope for in the future. However, that has changed — that is, changed in the way the world so often views hope. For example, I no longer have the hope of a job to return to, the hope of continuing education, or the hope of a marriage, and the list could go on and on. Even though none of these earthly hopes are present in a my life, I have the Heavenly Hope that comes from Jesus. He is enough. He is my healer, provider, husband, sustainer, and the lover of my soul.

Jesus is my greatest hope and that will never change no matter what comes my way. He is the only hope I need, and turns my darkness into light and brings comfort to my weary soul.

I am so grateful for this gift of hope, and I pray that you will cling to it no matter what circumstances you find yourself in today. Thanks for joining me on this Advent journey and be sure to read the blog next week as I write about peace.

To find all the post in this series viset here.

Articles, Christian Living, Holidays, Reading

Happy Day After Thanksgiving!

Happy Black Friday! I hope you all enjoyed Thanksgiving yesterday. I did, and of course ate way too much. I cannot resist my mom’s pumpkin cake. It is delicious! I plan to spend the remainder of the holiday weekend relaxing and doing a whole lot of nothing – ha!

I’m addicted to Hallmark movies so a marathon of those is on the agenda. In addition to that, Robin Jones Gunn just released a brand new book in her new series Christy and Todd – The Baby Years. The first book in the series is titled “Sandy Toes,” and I can’t wait to spend my weekend reading it. I grew up reading “The Christy Miller Series” by Robin and they aided in my relationship with Christ as a teenager. Even though her books are fiction I am always encouraged spiritually by her writing, and I know this new one will be no exception. She has fiction for all ages so her books would be the perfect Christmas gift for the readers in your life.

Most importantly, I wanted to share with you that I will be writing an Advent series again this year, and it will begin on Sunday. The series is called “Longing For Christ,” and I look forward to writing and sharing about the hope of our Savior during this season. While this weekend is busy for most as you are traveling and spending time with family, be sure to spend some time with Jesus thanking Him for all He has done.

Glorifying Him above all else should be the most important part of our days and Holiday season so spend some time delighting in Him.

Also, thanks again for all of your prayers for my health. Thanksgiving exhausted me, but it was still wonderful and the Lord sustained me. It seems the bladder infection is returning. I had another culture done on Wednesday and will know the results of that next week. I am so thankful for all of my prayer warriors. Your prayers and encouragement keep me going!

Articles, Blog Series, Christian Living, Holidays

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! This might be my most favorite day of the year (aside from tomorrow).

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved the day before Thanksgiving because that is when my mom starts cooking and preparing for the ginormous Thanksgiving feast that we will enjoy on Thursday.

When I was in college I could not wait to be home for Thanksgiving break. This was always a special time and I always loved waking on both Wednesday and Thursday morning to the smell of Thanksgiving in the house. My college days are long gone, but the traditions are much the same. For the past few years I always spend this day with mom as she is preparing everything. I enjoy her food as we talk and prepare together. And of course we have holiday movies (Thank you, Hallmark) playing in the background. Although this year we may be enjoying a Gilmore Girls Marathon. Don’t judge, you know you do it too.

Even though I’m home and settled in for the holiday, I know today is busy and stressful for many of you. Whether you are frantically trying to clean, cook, and prepare your house for guests, or trying to finish up work, fighting the traffic and airport crowds — today is known to be one of the busiest days of the year. However, in the midst of all the busyness that comes with the holiday I hope that you can take some time to be still, dwell, and give thanks to Jesus for what He has done for you this year.

Over the past few days I have shared different things I am grateful for. To close the series, I am most thankful for my relationship with Jesus. When you experience suffering, things that once seemed important diminish and priorities are no longer as complicated. That is definitely the case for me.

Corrie Ten Boom said it best – “You don’t realize Jesus is all you need, until Jesus is all you have.” The last year of my life has been spent being homebound as I continue to deal with health problems. Although, it has not been all bad, and that is because of Jesus. It seems that all was stripped away but unlike everything else in this life –Jesus has never forsaken me, or let me down.

Jesus will always remain the same and will never change and that gives me the hope to press on. The death of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection is the best gift I’ve ever received, and I am most thankful for His Salvation. Because of his salvation I can get through anything that comes my way and so can you with His help. Allow yourself to receive His love and grace over this holiday season. Nothing else compares to it

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Articles, Blog Series, Christian Living, Family, Holidays

In Everything Give Thanks – Family

To continue my Thanksgiving Series today’s post will focus on my family.

I may be biased, but I have the best family in the world! God has blessed me with a wonderful group of people and I am thankful more than ever before, for the people that make up my tribe! Thankfully, most of my family lives nearby which makes it easier to talk and spend time with them.

I can honestly say that my parents are my best friends. I am thankful to the Lord every day that He chose them to be mine. They have been there through all the joyful times, and the hard times. Two years ago when my health problems worsened they helped me move back in with them and have taken care of me since. Through every pain, emotion, and many sleepless nights — they have been there, and never complained one time. Each day they represent Jesus to me, and I will never be able to thank them enough for how they have blessed me over the past 31 years. They are my heroes!

In addition to my parents, my extended family have been amazing as well. You know you are. Thanks for all the prayers, calls, visits, flowers, treats, and encouragement that you’ve sent my way lately. I love you all.

Special thanks to my sweet Gran who over the past couple of months have visited me every Tuesday and Thursday and spoils me by cooking lunch for me on those days! Love you, Gran, and so thankful for the time we spend together. Also, thanks to my aunt Ellen and my favorite four year old Lexi who visits me every Saturday. My hang out time with my “Mini BFF” brightens my week.

To all of my family, and friends who are like family – I love you more than words can say. Thanks for loving me so well. As Philippians 1:3 states, “I thank my God every time I remember you!”

Take a moment today to thank God for the family He has given you and tell them how grateful you are for them.

Articles, Blog Series, Christian Living, Holidays

In Everything Give Thanks – Words of Wisdom From Amy Carmichael

In acceptance lieth peace. ~Amy Carmichael

To continue my Thanksgiving series, I am also thankful for the many things God uses daily to uplift my soul, and recently He has used the wisdom of Amy Carmichael to draw me closer to Himself. The quote listed above is one of my favorites from Amy, and one that God has brought to my attention many times as of late.

Accepting circumstances is pivotal to being thankful with any situation. For example, if I continue to live in the lands of “what ifs” or “What I hope will be,” it makes me not appreciate the now. I firmly believe that God can use any circumstance (no matter how dismal it may seem) for His good and glory! Therefore, we need to accept where God has us and embrace his peace to fully live the way He intends.

I will forever be grateful for the life of Amy Carmichael, and so blessed that God has used her story to encourage me during this season of difficulty. Aside from Scripture, the most encouraging and uplifting books to read are biographies from the heroes of the faith.

Amy is definitely one of my heroes. She devoted her life to ministry in India and was no stranger to physical pain. In fact she spent more than twenty years of her life homebound and bedridden due to a fall that later resulted in many other health problems. Despite her limitations, she did not live bound by her circumstances. She exuded the joy of Christ and encouraged many all over the world with her letters and writings. She was completely at peace with her life and situation even though it was not always easy, and this attitude came from accepting where God had her. I do want to clarify that by acceptance I don’t mean give up or quit trying. However, there are times when the best thing we can do for Jesus, ourselves, and the future is accepting the season we are in.

I want to challenge you (as well as myself) to accept where you are today and surrender all to the Lord. Whether you are in a tough season or a joyful one accept God’s peace today and even if it’s hard focus on what is good and allow yourself to live in the freedom that comes along with complete acceptance and surrender. What seems to be the worse of situations could later be one of your biggest blessings and joys. Do not spend the holidays weighed down with worry, doubt, and discontentment. Nothing good comes from doing those things. Trust me, I know. Instead fill your mind with the Word daily, read encouraging books, or turn on some praise music. Love Jesus and accept the life and peace He so desires to give you! There is nothing better than that!

To read other posts from this series visit here.

Articles, Blog Series, Daily Inspirations, Holidays

In Everything Give Thanks!

Starting today and leading up to Thanksgiving day, I will be posting about different things I am thankful for in 2016. To start, I am thankful for the “goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” You may be thinking to yourself, “what does she mean by that?” This year has been incredibly hard. I did not think any year could be worse than 2015 but 2016 has proven me wrong. My health has taken a turn for the worse over the last year, especially in the last few months. I have felt like all of my hopes and dreams for this season of life have been crushed and in my emptiness, I have become entirely dependent on the Lord. However, even in the hard, I have been reminded that there is always hope, and my hope lately has been from Bible passages that the Lord has revealed to me — one of those being Psalm 27:13. It states, “I remain confident of this:I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

It is because of this truth and the Lord’s strength that I am able to write these words to you today. Life can be weary but no matter the circumstances we find ourselves in, there is always the goodness of the Lord. He has proven himself to me over and over again throughout the years. While this season may not seem “good” in the world’s standards — I can know and believe today that the Lord is still good. He has done good things in the past and will do so in the future. He can bring good out of my present suffering. I may not ever know the good He chooses to bring from it on this earth, but I know He will use it and that keeps me pressing on.

Maybe you can relate as I know everyone has their own set of trials, but when I start focusing on the goodness of the Lord and not may pain – my heart gets lighter and His joy fills my soul. To many that might sound cliche and even impossible, but it is truth. Accept the truth of Jesus today and allow His goodness to change you. Jesus is the best husband, leader, refuge, lover, and peace that you could ever have. He loves you and does not want you to carry your burdens alone. Allow him to be your hiding place. I am so thankful for Him and for the goodness He represents in my life. He will forever be my refuge, and I pray He is yours as well.

Be sure to check back over the next few days as I will be posting more in the series!