Sitting in His Presence

 Most mornings, I sit in my chair in my living room with my bible and my devotion book and say, “Ok, God, speak to me! Fill me up with Your presence.”

Something new I started doing is mentally envisioning a pitcher being poured over my head (I am a little wacky:). This pitcher represents the power of God being poured into me. I sit there until I am completely full and overflowing.

 One thing I have noticed big time is that on the mornings I don’t take the time to stop and have my appointment with the Lord…I feel it. I operate on empty instead of full. My thankful heart easily turns into a heart of grumbling. This is not how I want to live my day.

My friend, this is my prayer for us today:

We will believe Jesus is for us and that He delights in us.
We will believe He sees us longing to know Him more.
We will believe He meets each of us right where we are.
We will thank Him daily for loving us in the midst of the process.

We thank Him for today. It’s a new day.

 My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14

Ponder ~ What is my daily habit when it comes to spending time with the Lord?…This can look different for everyone:) Are you operating on empty or full?

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Daily Reflection #10

Waiting in the Lord

Have you ever found yourself in the pattern of waiting for something to happen? Such as….waiting for an answer to come in the form of an email or phone call; waiting for healing in a broken relationship, finances, physical pain, or healing from strongholds. Whatever situation that is causing

us to wait…It can be hard.

Waiting is where I find myself right at the moment, as we wait to see what the next step is going to be for our daughter after finishing college. It’s very easy for me to let the fear of the unknown creep in. It is also easy for me to want to retract my open-ready-to-give-everything-to-God extended hands. I want to take control and say, “I got this. I know what’s best in this situation.” However, we all know there is better way:)

Releasing. Surrendering. Trusting that God knows and He sees the big picture when we only see in part. When we choose to wait with our hands extended, we allow our faith and trust to grow. We rest in a faith that says, “My God is for me, and He knows the work He is doing in me and my family.”

My friends, where do you find yourself this week? Like me, do you need to rest in the season of waiting? Join me in trusting God to be God. He’s good at it!

Lord, today I want to choose peace. I don’t want to live in turmoil.

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 41:31)

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Daily Reflections #9

Living Loved

Here are a few declarations to ponder on this week:

I will trust God, even when I don’t see a way out.
I will be okay with not always being okay. I am growing.
I will see my beauty beyond the mess.
I will love my life.
I will live loved.
I will walk imperfectly. Jesus is perfect.
I will love my people right where they are. Pray!
I will……….(fill in the blank).

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us…” Eph. 3:20

Daily Reflection #8

The words we speak about ourselves matters….

This picture is a jar that my daughter made for my birthday last year. It says ~ When you are having a bad day and feeling blue here are 48 things we love about you~ She went around to everyone in my family and collected encouraging words that speak straight to my heart.

It’s easy on the days when the inner voice is screaming and drowning out the voice of truth to believe the lies that seem so true at the moment; however, I don’t (and I’m sure you don’t) want to be stuck and weighed down by failures, disappointments, unfilled expectations. I want to cling to the power of truth. I want to see my goodness, even on the days when all I see is the “crazy” all around.

Seek to be overwhelmed by the truth of God

Lord, may I speak well about myself. I want to see my value and worth. I am loved beyond measure. May Your truth overwhelm me today.

Daily Reflection #7

Living One Day at a Time

In a world full of uncertainties, we get to rest in the fact that our God is never changing. We walk in His strength. We call upon His power. We believe He is mighty to save. We don’t fear tomorrow because He is already there. We pray over our children and the future generations. We trust that God is going to do a mighty work in them. We walk one day at a time.

My, Lord, I call upon You. Cause peace to rise in me that has nothing to do with the foolishness of this world. May my children see me trusting in You. Draw them close. Draw me close. Jesus!

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.”‘ Psalms 91:1

Daily Reflection #6

 The Struggle is Real

The struggle of a mom’s heart is real: She worries that she can’t protect her children enough. She thinks she is blowing it big time. She sometimes doesn’t have the solution to the problem. She gets tired, frustrated, and can feel guilty for feeling either.

But her heart is full of love for her babies, so this causes her to press on:)

Does this describe you? It describes me on many occasions. The other day this prayer was on my heart:

Lord, I don’t want to get twisted up in everything I think I’m doing wrong. It’s easy for me to come up with a 1000 things I need to fix. However, I want to be at the point where I’m reckless, abandoned, and sold out for You because at that point I’ll be able to let You do the transforming work in my life ~ It is in the everyday things of life that we get the see the mighty power of Jesus on display.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1Cor.15: 57-58)

Lord, help me be the kind of mom I want to be:)

*Come join me over on my Facebook group. I would love to have you.

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Daily Reflection #5

 A True Friend

True, genuine friendships are a precious gift. I’ve been blessed with some amazing friendships throughout my years. Some have lasted a lifetime, while others were only for a season. Some have been easy, while others didn’t turn out so good. It’s a chance you take when you open your life up to someone, but I believe it’s vital to find a friend who will love you enough to point you back to Christ. A friend who will lead you to godliness and not away from it. Someone who is willing to hold you up when you can’t hold yourself. Here’s the truth…everyone you know is not a true friend. Only a few qualify for this position. Some people are just better left not knowing all of your business. We need each other, ladies.

“Choose good people to be friends with. Be discerning in your choice. Recognize your own weakness and tendency to be influenced and molded, so that the friends you choose will shape you for the good, and encourage you in wisdom and godliness” (From a study I’m doing… It’s good advice to pass on to your children, too)

Lord, help me form healthy friendships. May I see the need for this because I need others to speak truth into my life. I don’t want to be the lone ranger. I need the support of others.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up! Ecc 4:9-10

Daily Reflection #4

 He Knows

Isn’t it piercing to realize that God not only knows where we live, but also knows the gutters into which we crawl! He will hunt us down as fast as a flash of lightning. No human being knows as God does. ~Chambers

When I woke up this morning, my heart wanted to go into instant worry mode. I wanted to think about all the unknowns. Quickly, I began to realize how foolish I was being, and I changed my focus to the goodness of God….🙂

Remember, what we think about matters.

Lord, I don’t want to stay stuck in the gutter of my mind. I am Yours. May I stop in my tracks today, even for a brief moment, and rest in Your goodness.

Daily Reflection #3

Be still…my soul. When turmoil is raging inside, stop and reclaim the peace of Jesus. This might have to happen one to a thousand times a day.

Lord, help me remember where my peace comes from.

Daily Reflection #2

A heightened awareness: God sent His son Jesus to set His people free. The truth is God does not give us what we deserve; instead, He lavishes us with His grace. Another truth is I have a hard time extending this kind of unfiltered grace. My natural self-wants to say…I will extend grace when you become what I want you to be. But, Jesus’ example is I will extend grace because so much has been given to me.

I think what my son and I read last night sums it up pretty good:)

Wherever I go I know
God’s never stopping
Never giving up
Unbreaking
Always and Forever
Love
Will go, too! (Jesus Storybook Bible. I highly recommend this for your kids:)

Jesus, help walk this out in everyday life.