Pink Patriot - My desire is to share with you the journey God has me on. Whether in joy hardship, I hope that my blog offers a place of respite, and bring joy to your heart!
Happy April. This is the day after Easter and my prayer is that we not only celebrate Jesus just during the different holidays, but each day of our life. The verse God has put on my heart in recent days is found in Proverbs 3:5-6. It states, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding and He will direct your path.” No matter what you are going through today seek God. He will always lead you in the path you should go and never fail you.
Happy Easter to all! This is one of my favorite quotes and it is the perfect reminder for this day as we celebrate Jesus. “The resurrection of Christ changed the midnight of bereavement into a sunrise of reunion; it changed the midnight of disappointment into a sunrise of joy; it changed the midnight of fear to a sunrise of peace.” ~Billy Graham
“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.
ut the angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.
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
But Christ Jesus is gold without alloy, light without darkness, glory without cloud; yea, He is altogether lovely.” ~Charles Spurgeon
Today is Valentine’s Day and for many it is a day to celebrate with the ones you love. However, not everyone has a spouse or significant other to celebrate with, and on a day filled with lots of love, flowers and chocolate, it can be very depressing for single folks. While others are waiting to receive a special gift, singles go into the day not expecting anything. For us, it is another reminder of what we long for but do not have.
As I have been pondering this over the past few days, the Lord has gently reminded me that on Valentine’s Day I am not alone because I have Him. He is greater than a boyfriend, husband, friend, or any gift that I could ever receive. He is the greatest gift. He is enough. I have everything I need in Him. As Isaiah 54:5 states, “For your Maker is your husband– the LORD Almighty is his name– the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.”
Because of Jesus, I am able to go through life completely fulfilled and content even if He never chooses to bless me with an earthly love story.
No love story is complete without Him because He is the greatest lover of all time.
With or without a husband, Jesus should always be the greatest lover of our souls. Nothing or no one should ever take the place of His rule in our hearts and lives.
During the past week, the Lord has brought to mind several verses that displays His great love for us. I am calling these my “Love Letters from Jesus.” Take a moment to read them and be encouraged. Whether you are married or single today, evaluate your relationship with the Lord. Are you allowing Him to be the Lord of your life? Do you make His relationship the most important one in your life?
When we put our relationship with Jesus above all else, every other relationship in our lives will become more beautiful.
Please know that you are not alone. Jesus loves you with a perfect and everlasting love. Unlike people, He will never let you down, and will always remain faithful. Allow these words from Scripture to penetrate your heart and mind, and choose to believe them.
“I have loved you with an everlasting love.” ~Jeremiah 31:3
“But now, this is what the LORD says– he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” ~Isaiah 43:1
“He has brought me to his banquet hall, And his banner over me is love.” ~Song of Solomon 2:4
“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” ~Zephaniah 3:17
“For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.” ~Deuteronomy 7:6
“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.” ~Song of Solomon 6:3
“For your Maker is your husband– the LORD Almighty is his name– the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.” ~Isaiah 54:5
Below is an article I wrote a while ago but I thought it would be fitting to share this week. It’s also a good reminder to myself as well.
Love may be easy when things are going our way, but this verse is not just talking about loving in the good times. This verse specifies the word all, which also means loving when times are tough and being willing to suffer for the sake of that love. When I read this particular verse I always think about the love of Christ, and ask myself, do I love Christ enough to suffer for the sake of loving Him? Am I willing to bear anything – persecution or death for the sake of loving Christ, and for others in my life that I love. I think that is what Paul is referring to in this statement, and is a sobering reminder for us to love in the same manner that Christ loved us.
Jonathan Edwards, one of my favorite theologians speaks of this matter and he gives several ways “love bears all things” in this regard. They are:
Love bears all things is being willing to undergo all sufferings, of all kinds, that are in the way of duty. For example, to prefer the honor of Christ before their own. This means to suffer and being willing to lose all things whether it be family, earthly possessions, etc. for that love.
Love bears all things is being willing to undergo all sufferings, of all degrees that are in the way of duty. This means to forsake all for the sake of Christ and to endure all degrees of mocking, contempt, etc for the sake of that relationship.
This type of love mentioned above is one that never gives up and has the ability to endure any hardship, sorrow, or disappointment that comes. This is how we should strive to love Christ and the people he puts into our lives. I think the true test of love in any relationship comes not when things are easy but when things are hard, and loving a person during the unlovable times. After all, that is how Christ loves us. When we are going through hard times and love does not come easy, Christ loves us anyway. There is nothing that we could go through that would make Christ not love us, and we should apply that concept to all the relationships God places in our lives.
Take some time today to pray and to surrender yourself to the Lord. Ask Him to show you how to love Him better, and ask him to give you wisdom in finding the ability to love the ones He has placed in your life.
I know this differs from my normal type of posts lately, but i just felt like writing something lighter. It’s been a challenging few weeks so I am just trying to intentionally enjoy the little things lately and find fun within the hard and mundane. We all need that from time to time. I have learned that fun and joy can be found in any situation. It’s not always easy but it’s possible and it helps to remove the weariness and stress that life can so often bring. My parents and I have always found little joys and laughter in all situations. This sounds cheesy but mom reminded me of this quote that I have always likes and it states, “It’s better to have fifteen minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.” I needed to hear that this week to help me keep the right mindset because the last couple of days have not been easy for my mom or me so we definitely need something fun just in time for super bowl this weekend. Perfect timing. 
If you know me you know that I love watching football, I always have. Watching sports have always been a way for my dad and I to connect. From high school sports, college/NFL football, and NASCAR we have enjoyed many games together. However, our most favorite team Is the New England Patriots and we have watched them faithfully since 2002 or 2003. The super bowl each year has been something we have always loved. When I lived away, I always tried to come home to visit for super bowl weekend. I’m one of those girls who dislikes going to super bowl parties with lots of people because those are more social times with the game on in the background and I really do want to seriously watch it and the commercials with no interruptions..ha!My mom prepares our favorite snacks and it’s ike a mini holiday tradition. Mom does not like sports as much as we do, but she makes super bowl a special time because she knows how much We especially me appreciates it.
One of my favorite pictures of my parents and I.
in addition to the game, in 2004 on super bowl Sunday we brought home a puppy that we named Coco. So we celebrate his birthday and give him a special treat every year. Little did I know how attached I would become to that dog. He had been a best friend, companion, and service dog for me over all of these years. He has always been sensitive to my health issues and this past year he has been amazing. He has warned us each time I ended up going to the hospital. Cocos life is a miracle because he was diagnosed with bone and lung cancer three years ago and the vet said we would have to put him down in a few months. Fast forward to now and he is still alive. We know that day of saying goodbye may come sooner rather than later but his living is basically a miracle. The vet said he was surviving for me so he deserves a little celebration more than ever before.
Sweet Coco 💙
Of course the super bowl is even better this year because the Patriots are playing. I know a lot of people hate them and love to bring up controversy but I’m not getting into that here ha! Football is not the most important thing and of course it is just a game but it is a fun tradition that my parents and I share.
Over the years we have always made a big deal of little things and have always come up with various reasons to say we are having a party. Haha! These days life has been rough but I’m so thankful for my parents who are always coming up with little reasons to have fun and bring humor in any situation and I love them so much for that.
Be sure to take some time to enjoy the little thing. By doing so may not change the circumstances you are in but can help them be more bearable. But if you are planning to watch the game ton Sunday, I hope you have fun with friends and family and of course root for the Patriots.
What is your favorite super bowl recipe. Share it in the comments below. I just saw a recipe for chicken biscuits in Southern Living Magazine that I may have to convince my mom to try. Below is the link to recipe.
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