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Because He Lives – Easter 2018

“But the angel said to the women, Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He isn’t here, because he’s been raised from the dead, just as he said. Come, see the place where they laid him.” ~Matthew 28:5

2018 has been hard to say the least, especially the past few weeks. My need for the hope of Christ is more evident now than before. Today, I am thankful for the sustainment God gives and for life. A few weeks ago I could have lost my life due to a complete bowel obstruction, but God was bigger than my diagnosis and I am now back home under the wonderful care of my parents, hospice, and my dogs.. The gift of the death and resurrection of Jesus seems more real and applicable to my life now more than ever before.

I am a bit of a worry wart and I have been pondering many scenarios lately, and living in the land of “What-ifs.” The Lord has been remiinding me that I need to trust Him more than my own understanding. He died and rose for me to live an abundant life of peace and freedom — not fearing what is to come. That does not mean that troubles won’t come, it just means Christ will be with us and the through the trials that come our way. He will also be there to celebrate with you on days where your life is filled with joy. There is nothing God cannot handle. As Matthew 28:5 states, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He isn’t here, because he’s been raised from the dead.” Living with worry is disobeying the Word, and therefore goes against what God has done for us. When we are doing these things we are not living and abiding in Calvary Love as Amy Carmichael so often says in her writings.

Today, God reminded me graciously of the beauty and truth of the Gospel and helped me to see past this medical fog I have been in. Even though my life is hard and some days I do not see outside my bedroom, unless I am in the hospital — God is still good and He is flooding my heart with peace and truly giving me what I need to live with life and Godliness. On this day of Easter I am reminded over and over of the Gospel and the beautiful gift God gave for our sins in His son Jesus. I am also thankful in the little things as I press on day to day. Without the Gospel and the Eternal Salvation from Christ, I would be nothing and instead of joy, my heart would be filled with bitterness.

Friends, I don’t know what circumstances you are facing today or the worries that are going through your mind but whatever they are give them to Jesus. If you know Him as your personal Savior be thankful for His faithfulness in your life because there is always something to be thankful for. Spend time praising Him today for the victory we have in Him and what He overcame.

If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior– talk to Him, repent, and ask Him to be the Lord in your life. Lay your sins, worries, and weariness at His feet and He will pick them up and give you peace that passes all understanding. I hope even if we never see each other on this earth, that we will meet in Eternity. It doesn’t matter what your past is, or what you have done, God loves you and wants you to draw near to Him. Allow Him to carry your heavy load. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states,

“So then, if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived!”

And Matthew 11:28 states,

“Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.”

One of my favorite songs is “Because He lives” by Bill Gaither, and it has been playing in my head for days. So to close, I hope these words encourage you as they have me.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives, all fear is gone.

Because I know He holds the future

And life is worth the living,

just because He lives.

Articles, Daily Inspirations, Holidays

Daily Inspirations – March 31, 2018

ut the angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.

Articles, Christian Living, Holidays

Daily Inspirations – March 30, 2018

Crying out in a loud voice, Jesus said, Father, into your hands I entrust my life. After he said this, he breathed for the last time.
~Luke 23:46

Articles, Daily Inspirations, Holidays

Daily Inspirations – March 29, 2018

Articles, Christian Living, Devotionals, Disability

Sometimes you just have to laugh!

As a person who has lived with a disability and now chronic illness — it is very important to find the humor in hard situations. To cope with my long days laughing is needed for my sanity. Over my entire life but especially in the last year we have had some hard moments that ended up with both my parents and I on the floor laughing. If someone had seen us they would think we were crazy for laughing at the most inappropriate times.

Recently I was going through some of my old blog posts and found this story that I had totally forgotten about until now and it made laugh out loud. There is nothing I like more than conversation and laughter with friends and family. Being bed bound is tough but laughter always makes things better. My motto for this season has been, “So let’s laugh a little, dance a little, and hope a little more.” Spend some time today catching up with a friend and have a good laugh!

Here is a glimpse into my crazy!

Before continuing, for those of you freaking out right now at how lightly I am treating falling — chill. It’s all good and it is a daily part of my life. I fall as naturally as most people walk, and have been trained to fall without getting hurt. Plus, it is better to laugh than to cry, and makes enduring the hard days much easier not to take everything so seriously.

This past Saturday my parents and I went to see the movie “Woodlawn.” I was not feeling the greatest and in all honesty was a bit annoyed and not in the best of moods before walking out the door. As I was leaving, I got my purse and headed for the door to get my crutches and lost my balance, fell forward, and face planted into the dog bowls by the door. This was a lovely indication as to how my day was going so far. As soon as I hit the ground I started laughing so hard it made it impossible to get up and meanwhile my mom is nearby laughing too and neither one of us were much help to each other. Oh the joys of having Cerebral Palsy, but it was totally what I needed to lighten my mood and ironically it made the day a bit better. Also, don’t worry, no harm was done to me during my fall.

31 Days - Nehemiah, Articles, Christian Living, Devotionals

Mornings With Nehemiah – Boldness

Hi friends.Thanks for reading and staying the course with me this far in the study. Even though we are not far into it yet, I have enjoyed going back through Nehemiah and digging deep into his story. Each time I do a read through of the book the Lord teaches me something new.

As I have been reading and studying the book of Nehemiah, one of Nehemiah’s strongest qualities was his boldness. Nehemiah had his heart set on helping the people in Jerusalem rebuild the walls. He had God’s heart for the people and a passion to help the city. That was Nehemiah’s desire, but he currently had a job as the King’s cup bearer.

At the end of chapter 1, Nehemiah prays for the Lord to hear his prayers and grant him mercy in the sight of the King. This was no small task for Nehemiah. The end of verse 11 states, “Grant him mercy in sight of this man, for I was the King’s cup bearer.” Once Nehemiah entered into the Kings presence, his boss knew something wasn’t right.The king thought Nehemiah seemed sad and He wanted to know the reason. To answer his question, Nehemiah explained what was going on in Jerusalem. In turn, the king granted Nehemiah permission to go. Not only did Nehemiah share what the situation was in Jerusalem, he also knew that traveling there could present some problems. Therefore, Nehemiah requested the king write a letter and get permission for Nehemiah to pass through certain places on his journey, as well as permission to get some wood for the walls. None of the servants was to ever speak to the King in this way, but the Lord was in control and allowed the conversation with the King be in favor of Nehemiah. God gave Nehemiah everything he needed to pursue his mission. This was not going to be easy, but he was being obedient to the Lord, and pressing on. He did not let fear or worry stop him. He trusted the Lord to lead the way and to make his path known before him.

In our lives today, there is so much that we can take away from this lesson. As believers, God has given everyone of us a purpose, and He uses each of us every day even when we don’t see it. There may be times where you know God is calling you to do something whether its taking a certain job at the church, going on the overseas mission trip, helping the community with a certain event, etc. However, fear is hindering you because you can’t see the end result, or you do not feel adequate for the task. Although, as he did with Nehemiah, if God gives you the heart and desire to do something, He is going to help you do it regardless of the difficulties.

Spend some time today in the Word and in prayer before the Lord. As God to show you what He has given you the heart to do. You may already know what that is, and if so ask God to give you the boldness to move forward with a plan. Even on the hardest of days, if God has called you to it, He is going to give you the ability and grace to do what needs to be done. Take some time to read the first and second chapters of Nehemiah and see the Lord at work, and allow Him to teach and work in you. As you will see as we continue the study, Nehemiah never regretted being bold for Jesus, and neither will you.

To read other posts in this series visit here.

Articles, Daily Inspirations