Tag: #MyExperience

AWAKENING TO – MY WORD OF THE YEAR

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FINDING A WAY TO BUILD MOMENTUM FOR YOUR NEW YEAR

So, I recently stumbled upon my 2024 Word of the Year and started to think of how something as simple as giving your year a word can help shape and build momentum for it.

Some have had years that they’d rather not repeat and some are just rebuilding from a place of deconstruction. There are many other instances that we can reference, but these two can be harder to navigate out of, or through their after effects.

Finding a way to build momentum for your new year can be challenging. Here are 9 tips that are simple to incorporate and yet have proven to be extremely helpful upon application:

1. CHOOSE A WORD OF THE YEAR

As simple as this may sound a word of the year produces a type of expectancy in you. You begin to look forward to the possibilities of what could become of your year.

2. CREATE A VISION BOARD OR AN IDEA BOARD

Creating something that you can look at and to, that reminds you of the things you’d like to accomplish and the goals you’d like to pursue in the year to come helps us to keep focus and refocus our thoughts and our efforts throughout the year.

3. MAPPING OUT YOUR IDEAL YEAR ON A PHYSICAL CALENDAR (AS WELL AS SETTING DEADLINES)

This becomes a seemingly loose or very concrete way of steering your year. No matter who you are or how well planned or thought out year typically is; mapping the entire year out on a physical calendar helps one to make the most of their year. If you know your plans for October 2024 you are more likely to stick to your budget, accomplish your daily to-do list and task, in March of 2024 because you know, presume and are preparing for what is to come.

4. REFERRING TO IT OFTEN

Referring to the calendar helps with keeping your focus. It can be used as a form of accountability.

5. HAVING A DAILY TO DO LIST THAT IS ATTAINABLE (HITTING THE TOP THREE EACH DAY)

Creating a daily to-do list or a daily task list. Many commit to a list of three things each day. I can not tell you the amount of times that I have struggled to meet the items on my to-do list. I can also not tell you, the amount of times that those same to-do list served as something constant and steady in my day to day life. Checking things off of your daily list brings about a sense of accomplishment even to the most chaotic of days. Knowing that your list is something that brings your attention back on what matters as every and anything may try to steal that attention really does bless one’s day.

6. FEEDING YOURSELF THE RIGHT SPIRITUAL FOODS AND ENCOURAGEMENT

This is so important. I have grown to understand how vital spiritual food is. Who gets to speak into your life? Who gets to encourage you? Who do you trust to call out the best and the not so good in you? Do you understand that it is a privilege to be spoken over and also a privilege to speak into? I have learned that depending on where I am going every message or encouragement may not be for me. I have also learned that I can’t tune into everything either. It’s important to have a foundation that starts and ends with God (Jesus), and to build upon that.

7. EDUCATING YOURSELF ON THE TOPIC|OR THE “HOW TO’S” SO THAT YOU CAN TANGIBLY NOTE THAT YOUR VISION IS POSSIBLE

Have you ever wanted to do something but shied away from it because you thought it took more than it actually did take? Or am I the only one? But, upon researching and being proactive in learning what steps were actually needed for that thing, the smoke was lifted and you could see clearly a way to it. Don’t underestimate the power of researching or pursing the way. Something may appear to be difficult but turn out to be more systematical than you think.

8. BE ACCOUNTABLE

I have learned that the surest way to become accountable to yourself is to make yourself accountable to others. There is a beauty in submitting yourself to another, learning from another and putting yourself under authority. Notice I didn’t say “getting under” authority, but “putting yourself” there. You have a lot to do with who you submit to or who you allow yourself to be accountable to. What I would suggest, is to choose wisely. For instance, choosing to be held accountable to someone who is accountable to no one, may not be a good idea. If you are aiming to be a better Christian in 2024, then you’d probably want to be accountable to someone who has a timeline that matches the steps of someone who is God honoring and lives wholly for Jesus. Jesus chose to submit to Himself to the will of the Father and made Himself accountable to Law of the prophets and by doing this He lived well, lived an accomplished life and pleased God. (Matthew 5:17, Matthew 3:17, John 10:18)

9. LOOK TO THOSE WHO ARE WHERE YOU WANT TO BE AND ARE PAST YOU – AND GOT THERE THE RIGHT WAY

“Do not take advice from someone you wouldn’t trade lives with!”, is a quote I’ve heard several times and can honestly agree with its sentiments. Of course, we can learn something or at least one thing from everyone. Even observing and having interaction with a 3 year old can result in some wisdom and revelation gained, but I would not refer to these same interactions and base all of life’s decisions on them. In the same way, we should learn from those who have excelled in the areas we are looking to excel in. Learn from those doing things God’s way. Learn from those who through experience and example have proven to be one|those to learn from.

Here are some scriptures to refer to in the coming year:

Proverbs 29:18 NIV

Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.

ESV

Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.

James 4:15

What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”

Psalm 37:5

Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.

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AWAKENING TO – A MAN SO SURE

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I’ve never met a man more sure

Who is the surest man you know?

How does he show you that he is as sure as you know him to be?

How does how sure he is make you feel?

Are you more sure with him, or in His presence?

Jesus, the surest man I’ve ever met. The man that reminds me that He is fully God and fully man all at one time. My Jesus, He can relate, and understand but He can also know everything and not relate at the exact same time.

Here are 10 statements that Jesus spoke of Himself:

10 statements Jesus said that made Him sure, to me.

John 14:6 – The Way, the Truth, the Life

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Try it. Try getting to God, the Father without going through Jesus. The most cold and meaningless attempt at getting to God the Father would be to do it without Jesus. You know that God really does exist but attempt to get to Him without the Spirit of Him driving you, is impossible. It isn’t possible to get to God without going to Jesus. He is the one who opens blind eyes (John 10:21), He is the one that does the drawing. He is the proof of God’s love for you, He is the example to every Christian human.

John 10:36, Luke 22:70 – Son of God

“why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world.”

After all, the Father sent Him as the redeemer of all mankind. He is the redeemer of every sin to ever take place, He is the way out of the eternal consequences of the sins one commits daily. He has been set a part from the beginning of time, for purposes no one could ever fulfill but Him and He will always be the One known from the beginning of time before the beginning of time, sent to accomplish what no one else could.

John 8:58 – Jesus said He is the I Am

“Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am !””

Jesus, the I Am. The One who needs no explanation. He needs no evidence but gave it to us anyway. He has nothing to prove and decided to prove His love to us anyway. He has proven His authority and power to us as well.

John 6:35-36 – Jesus – the Bread of Life

“Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me.”

There is a thirsting and a hunger that only Jesus can quench. Nothing earthly could ever compare to the provision of His presence, to the provision of His Spirit, to the provision of His wholeness.

John 8:12 – Jesus – I am the Light of the World

“Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.””

Walking in darkness is a choice. Following Jesus, is the solution to the problems that walking in darkness create. Much like stubbing our toe on the side of the wall in the middle of the night can be solved by the flick of a switch; Jesus, is the solution to the problem found in darkness. He is the sure fix to problems created by shame.

John 10:7 – the Door to the Sheep

“so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.”

He is the whole gate, not part of it, not the key to it, but He is the entire gate. Will we go to Him for entry?

John 10:11 – The Good Shepherd

“”I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”

He is willing to sacrifice, only for our sake. He didn’t benefit not one bit from dying on that cross, the benefits went directly to us. He was already perfect but, momentarily sacrificed His equality to God for us. Putting on a human body, over all of that Deity, He did it for you and I, just so that a way would be made for our return to our Maker.

John 11:25 – The Resurrection and the Light

“Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.”

Even after dying, you live! He was the first in resurrection, but not the last to.

John 15:5 – The Vine

“”Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

Close to Him is where He requires us to be. He isn’t sure for no reason, He is sure for us to be connected. He is sure so that we can be sure too. He is the lifeline, so that we can live. He is, for our sake, and for the sake of our fruit.

John 2:19 – Jesus said He will tear down the Temple

“”All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.””

He was talking about Himself. He was and still is so sure of Himself, that we are left no choice but to be sure of Him also.

Acts 5:38

“So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown.

Over 2,000 years ago a wise man encouraged others to allow the Gospel of Jesus Christ to continue to be spread. If its message was a fallacy it would fall off on its own. If its message was the real deal, nothing would be able to stop it (Acts 5:39). And now over 2,000 years later we are less than 10 years away from having the Word of the Only, true and living God, fully translated into every single language. It started with a few men who gathered to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit to fall on them; and when He did, others who spoke different languages understood their sayings.

God’s presence is more active today than ever, more alive today than ever. We are more sure of Jesus today than ever. Blessed are you, because we believe without having had had to see. It all started by Word of mouth. A few people testified to the Truth and look at how far we’ve come.

Jesus, the surest man I’ve ever known! The surest man I’ll ever know. He is, and because He is, we are.

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AWAKENING TO – ATTENTION SEEKING

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You need to know what has your attention.

You need to know that there is an audience of One. There is an audience of One living, and Who has already died for your attention.

You don’t need the audience of others when you have Him as an audience. (When He is the audience that matters most to you and the audience that you care most about, He brings the right audience to you.)

He adores you.

He lavishes over you.

He’s obsessed with your very being.

He has a plan for you today.

He has a plan for you now.

He has a plan for you ten years from now.

He has a plan for you for all of eternity:

Whose attention are you seeking?

I used to envision myself as a micro sized being, just jumping up and shouting for presence and attention of God.

Praying and praising – Saying: “OO oo, pick me, answer my request, hear my cry and my call.

Hey God,

See me.

See me standing here.

Just here for You.

Arms wide open.

Here for Your attention God.

I don’t want any other.

Hear Your daughters call.

Hear her cry.

I am in need of You.

I am Yours, receive me.”

“Show me how much I mean to You.

Remind me of my true identity.

Write my life all over again, for Your glory and to Your glory. Mold me after Your will.

I am willing to bend and live abundantly for You.

You are mine, I am Yours.

You are my Hiding Place, my Safe Refuge.”

I’d envision myself shouting these words at the top of my lungs, not because I needed to but because I wanted to.

I wanted to be heard by Him.

I wanted to make sure He noticed me – falling head over heels, into His bosom.

Heart open and abandoned to His will.

Captured by His presence, basking in His glory, and greatness and care for me.

Knowing that He didn’t only make me, but He wanted to.

(Psalm 139:13, Jeremiah 1:5, Ephesians 1:4)

I’ve also envisioned myself, arms wrapped around me – embracing God’s thick and tangible presence.

Knowing His warm embrace.

Knowing His love.

His grasp, His kindness.

Knowing He wouldn’t let go.

So I’d speak in the liberty of a whispers. Knowing He’d hear my every sigh, He’d translate even my breaths.

And I know He’d understand every single

word, even if it was just hidden within the deeps of my own heart.

I know God.

A God that knows me.

Through and through.

A God that longs for me to know how much of my audience He actually is.

A God who wants me more than I’ll ever want Him.

And yet, He purses me still.

So tell me why?

Why would I want the audience of another when I have the attention of the God of the universe?

There is nothing wrong with seeking attention.

Just know that there will always be an audience of One who has already beat you to it.

He fought for and won your attention first.

You’ll never seek His attention and leave empty handed.

Seek the attention of the One.

Know the attention of the audience of One.

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AWAKENING TO – THE ANSWERS THAT COME WITH PRAYER

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I recently began to pray a few words and said to myself “I am not going to pray those words yet”.

And it wasn’t because I shouldn’t, but because I have, in the past.

Some prayers come with really steep answers.

Some prayers take you deeper into the heart of God.

Some prayers reveal the ugly truth about you.

Some prayers cause repentance and some make room for new wine.

Some prayers are not answered,

but are displayed and responded to, through your obedience to the Father’s will.

Just look at the life death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; the most influential and impactful ministry to ever exist.

He went the distance with God the Father.

We don’t say this often but, there were the greatest highs and low, lows even in His story. And He is the one and only, son of God.

Some prayers take maturity. Some prayers take more than a yes. Some prayers, if I can be completely honest, in some seasons I am not willing to pray.

And it isn’t because I don’t see the answer or believe that it will be answered, but because I know the journey I’d have to go on to the answer.

It takes faith to ask God to make you more like Him.

It takes faith to ask prayers along the lines of what you can do for His Kingdom, or how you can better benefit His Kingdom.

It takes faith to walk in total obedience after uttering some extreme words of prayer.

It takes faith to already know the answer to the prayer, know what it will require of you and to pray it anyway – even still.

It takes faith to go the distance with God.

You get to a place with God where you understand that your yes to God takes footwork.

And not necessarily baby steps footwork.

What this means is that, in saying yes to God today, a year later can come by and one can still not do what He’s asked.

There is a place in our walk where that kind of action may fly or be excused, but there is also a place past that.

A place where it practically becomes blatant disobedience not to say yes with ones footwork.

Those are the places that make you tremble at the thought of obedience but there is no way you can turn back.

Those are the places where you say I’m choosing this day who I will serve – if God is God, serve God.

Those are the places where you say comes what may happens what may my eyes are on You – my life is yours, God.

Those are the places where you are willing to sacrifice for the sake of…

Those are the places where you second guess your own prayer before you utter it because you know what it will require, and you will not turn back.

Those are the places where you dig your heels into the ground and go hard after Jesus because He is your only help in the journey to the answer.

Those are the places where He shows you what you are made of and that He wasn’t even close to being through with you yet.

Those are the places where you are drafted. The civilian cape is removed, because the army of the Lord means business and so do you.

Those are the places where you realize that you were called for such a time as this and your preparation shows it.

Those are the places where God gets the most honor because it is either all or nothing, you become a front-liner and are willing to go the distance…

just journeying with you and Your God.

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AWAKENING TO – NOT LIMITING YOUR GRASP OR YOUR REACH

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grasp:

1: to take or seize eagerly

2 : to clasp or embrace especially with the fingers or arms

3 : to lay hold of with the mind

reach:

1a : to stretch out

b : thrust

2a: to touch or grasp by extending a part of the body (such as a hand) or an object

b: to pick up and draw toward one

c (1): to extend to

(2): to get up to or as far as : come to

How do you know if something is obtainable?

Inserts personal story here:

Here’s a short story, and it’s a personal one. I always thought to myself that if I was able to afford shopping at a specific supermarket, maybe one along the lines of Citarella that this would be when I “made it” so to speak. Maybe I’m the only one who has had past discussions about where I grocery shop and how much you’d have to make to shop there. If that isn’t the case for you, maybe you can relate to this idea. We tend to put a price point or price tag to the sought out and to the attainable. One might say to another, “You don’t make enough to shop there!” or “That price point is out of your league!”.

But I beg to differ and here’s why. What I learned from the grocery shopping comparison, that I made in my head was that I could actually purchase groceries from stores like Citarella anytime I wanted to. The issue wasn’t in the price point, the issue was in my actions and own thoughts. The only thing stopping me from shopping there, then, was the choice that I made to do so. If I wanted to shop at a gourmet or luxury grocery store, I could, I’d just have to choose to.

Note: The comparison was against “me, then “ – in that moment vs “me, when…” not at all against anyone else.

This has changed my mind about a lot. Our grasp and our reach being among the lot. There isn’t much that isn’t attainable. It really all boils down to the mind you have to attain that thing.

I honestly believe that you can accomplish and do anything, the mind you have to do that something is what concludes the matter. Which is why it is important for us to expand our knowledge, to expand our understanding, and to expand our view of what is potentially in reach.

To think that the act of going to a store, was the only thing actually stopping me from shopping there is a scary thought. It’s actually a very limiting thought. May we never limit ourselves in that way.

You can do anything short of sin as far as God is concerned. This is also why it is important for us to know the God of the Bible, to know what He has done in and through the life of others in the past; so that we can come up higher in our thinking of Him and what He is able to do in our own lives.

It’s isn’t cliche to say that God can do anything, or “There is nothing too hard for our God!” because in all actuality there really is nothing that, He cannot do.

He spoke this entire place as well as space into motion. We cannot fathom His grasp or His reach, so why should we limit our own.

Hoping this blog get you thinking a bit…

Romans 11:36

For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

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AWAKENING TO – THE TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD PART

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Romans 8:28

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

There are two factors to consider when referencing this scripture:

1. would be that you love God and

2. would be that you are called according to His purpose for YOU

The greatest commandment is that we should love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, minds and souls.

Matthew 22:37

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’

Deuteronomy 6:4-7

“Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

The greatest and most important commandment is to love God. It is to love Him wholly, completely and with everything.

When God is sure that you love Him, He is also sure that He can give you the promises and purposes He has for you. Similar to Abraham and the story of him and Issac. He loved God and proved His love to God with the confirmation of an angels response saying “now I know you fear God” (Genesis 22:12). God knew that Abraham could handle situations and circumstances working together for his good because he loved and revered Him. He knows that He can bless you because you love Him. He knows that He can flip a circumstance in your favor and the act not go to your head, because you know that the reason for it all is to serve His purposes.

Matthew 5:5

God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.

God wants us all to walk in His purposes for us. His plan is for none of us to perish (2 Peter 3:9), but He also is sovereign and knows that we all won’t choose to walk down the path that pleases Him. He knows who will choose to serve Him and who will choose to not. He knows the end from the beginning and takes the will of the wicked and the surrendered will of the righteous and works them both together to accomplish His purposes.

The thing with the second part of Romans 8:28 is that we are all called according to the purposes of God for our lives, but we don’t all answer to living it out.

Here are 5 questions to ask yourself to better get your life in cooperation with the principal of this scripture:

1. Do I love God?

2. How can I love God more?

3. Have I answered the call to live a life aligned with His purposes and good pleasure?

4. How can I be better at living a life more surrendered to the Fathers will?

5. Do I want to hear the words “well done” when things are all said and done on this side of life?

A few scriptures to reference:

Proverbs 4:23

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Phillipians 2:13

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

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AWAKENING TO – CLOSENESS WITH GOD

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Who am I kidding? Sometimes this time feels so rushed. Sometimes although you’ve had the alone time with God, the chaos in the day doesn’t, at all show evidence of it. It’s like, what just happened in that day? And why? How come? God, am I missing something?

But, like spending time with our little|s is deeply important to us, so, spending time with God is. We know the importance of time spent with our little|s because we know they won’t be that little for very much longer. We know that a minute lost with them is a minute we will never get back again. We know how much every moment counts and we try our best to savor the right memories and get them to stick in theirs and our psyche.

It’s the same way in out time spent with God. The moments we attempt to get with Him, we will never get back again. The day we say, “I’m going to set my alarm to get up early tomorrow and spend time with Jesus before any part of me hits the ground running.” and then miss it, is a moment we’ll never get back again. It’s a moment where He might of wanted to whisper something super juicy into our dry and desperate souls but we didn’t get a chance to spend that time with Him. It’s a moment where He might of wanted to give us that next instruction on our lives, you know the one we’ve been begging and pleading with Him for, but we didn’t make it to our alone time that day.

Now don’t get me wrong, God in His grace, and mercy still knows how to get our attention when He needs it; but I also know that there are things that His Spirit longs to reveal to us if only, we took the steps towards Him that He needed us to. If we possibly approached Him each day with a bit more eagerness. Oh, the things He longs to show us, if we’d just make more room for Him.

This isn’t a blog meant or sent to condemn, it is one so deeply impressed on my heart on this day. Maybe due to my own shortcomings? Possibly, so, be assured that it isn’t to condemn. I just wonder how much He wants to share with you and I that we haven’t given Him the time to.

I distinctly remember a moment in the earlier days of my walk with Christ where I struggled to meet with Jesus each and everyday. I’ve journaled for some time and remember one particular day, where I just sat down and went through all of the notes of glory that God would share with me through His word, in the times that I did make to be alone with Him. And I remember looking at the book with somewhat of tears in my eyes talking to God and saying “This is what you want yo do in me and reveal to me each and everyday?”. It was a very still moment of repentance for me. Where I sat there, and in my will, had decided to meet with God each and everyday thereafter; by way of my Bible, a journal and a pencil.

From that moment on my life, showed a complete difference. It was evident that this was something God had been waiting on me to do. Trials came my way in the process but they seemed to have literally rolled off|away due to my intimacy with the King. It was visible and evident that daily alone time with the Lord, produced fruit in my life. First on the inside of me, and then trickling out into every area|corner of my life.

Hope this encourages you today!

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AWAKENING TO – WITH ALL OF OUR HEARTS

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…

“we can work up to the “with all our heart”

but what we can’t do is accept staying where we are or the same”

“with all of our hearts”

God is patient, He is such a patient God. When I look over the stories in scripture and see how merciful He was to people in the moments He really didn’t have to be I get overwhelmed with sorrow.

For example, the children of Israel rebelled against God, time and time again. He would tell them what their punishment would look like and still, they’d cry out to Him and be rescued by Him almost immediately after they’d call on Him with a broken spirit and repentant heart.

Psalm 51:17

It is a reminder to me that God doesn’t like to see any of us suffer or face the consequences that, at times we’ve caused. He is a loving Father and loves us too much to leave us. He loves us too much to allow us to wallow in our sin for long. When we call out, He answers, sometimes almost immediately and then there’re other times we wonder if He’s running late. No matter when, where or how He answers, knowing that He is always there; in-spite of and while we face the things we do brings some sort of assurance to circumstances that could be anything but that.

He is here, He listens and He sees it all.

Which brings me to the greatest commandment:

Matthew 22:37

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’

If I were to be honest sometimes this can be something I’ve struggled with throughout our relationship. Our, meaning, mine and God’s relationship. I’ve wrestled with giving my whole heart to God and being afraid that it might be too much.

I’ve been afraid of loving God with my whole heart because then that would mean that He would be able to tug on (metaphorically speaking), my heart strings as He pleases and I wouldn’t want that.

If I allowed God complete access to my love I’d be fully at His mercies and for anyone who likes to control things, this can be a tough one.

Proverbs 4:23

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

The thing about this scripture is that we never have to guard our hearts from God. He is fully capable of caring for and handling the things we entrust to Him.

2 Timothy 1:12

…But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.

If you struggle with the topics of giving your whole heart to God, here are a few scriptures that may help:

1 John 4:18

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

1 Peter 5:7

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

Numbers 23:19

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

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AWAKENING TO – RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

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Everyone can have one?

Once experienced, it’s something you’d rather not be without.

It isn’t something reserved for a specific person or group.

God created you to have relationship with you.

He will not go back on this, He made us for His pleasure.

Can you imagine a God who creates simply because He chooses to?

Can you imagine knowing that He delighted in making you?

That He saw you and knew you’d need intimacy with Him?

Isaiah 43:7

Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.’”

Can you imagine a God that wants to fellowship with you?

I once saw my relationship with God as something so far off. I knew He existed, I even knew He cared about me. I knew He was the True and Living God and would argue anyone down who tried to tell me otherwise. I just knew it, don’t ask me how I did but I just did.

Then I knew Him as someone who wanted a relationship with me. I always knew He cared, always knew He was over me but just never knew He wanted to know me and for me to know Him. I didn’t know that God really wanted to know me and be known by me. So I started after this.

Since then, I’ve grown to see our relationship and connection as much more.

I see it as a flow now. I used to be really disappointed in myself if I missed quite time with Him. I would think that He wouldn’t want to know me anymore because of it and that just isn’t how a relationship with Jesus works.

I see it as a flow now, similar to a faucet turned on, or a river. It doesn’t stop because I miss a day in my seeking or searching. It may slow down or not flow in the manner I would like it to but the beauty about this is that it can be adjusted.

If there is something missing or needs to be implemented in my life I can adjust the faucet.

Now, I am not in control of God in this relationship, but I am in control of myself.

We oftentimes speak of the Spirit of God flowing through us. Or we reference God’s presence as One moving or speaking through us. Our connectivity to Him oftentimes determines that flow.

There have been cases in the Bible where God used or operated through something or someone for a specific purpose and never did it again and there are other moments in scripture where God was undeniably with a person or group throughout their entire lifetime.

God wants to flow through you and I today, and our connection to Him will determine this flow.

God doesn’t leave us when we fail at communing with Him like we should but the flow can definitely be affected by this…

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1 Chronicles 28:9

“…For the LORD sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him…”

A Lesson Learned From A Childhood Experience

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So I broke my leg when I was in grade school. It was a really bad break. I was riding on the handle bars of a bike while a friend of mine peddled the bike. Before heading outside that day I specifically remembered my mom telling me not to go outside. While she was in the house I left anyway and went for a bike ride with my neighbor. Something must of been wrong with the setting on the brakes because as we were riding I accidentally pressed on the breaks which was located on the handle bar and the bike flipped over. Only to find out almost instantly that my leg got caught in the chains of the bike in the process of it flipping over.

Knots started to form in my stomach and nervousness was the feeling I had. I screamed for my mom while the owner of the corner store beneath my building ran out and removed my leg from the chains and held me until my mom came down. Everything happened so quickly and as soon as she came down we jumped in a cab and made our way to the hospital.

I don’t remember much after that but I also remember that this specific incident almost caused me to lose my leg. The hospital mistakenly wrapped my entire leg in a cast. Yes, with open wombs. I know! What were they thinking?!

Fast forward to me having the cast on for a few months. One day, after I had showered and was relaxing in the living room my mom kept complaining of a stench and we didn’t know where it was coming from. She smelled my cast and that was when she noticed where the smell was coming from. The rotting smell was coming from my cast. She took me back to the hospital right away. This is when the doctors realized that there was a big mistake made. They then sawed two squares out of the cast, one on each side of my ankle and as soon as the squares were removed the smell got stronger. They cleaned up the wounds and if I can recall correctly gave me antibiotics to take. Following this correction my leg healed perfectly, minus the scars around my ankle, which I’d take over a missing ankle any day.

After this incident, whenever I knew I was disobeying my mom (as a child) I would get this weird feeling in my stomach and not feel so good about not listening. Because of this experience, I carried a fear of something bad happening if I didn’t listen to my mom well into my teenage years. As I grew older I forgot about how tragic the experience was and began to disobey my mom again but not without consequences of course.

This experience reminds me of the Fear of God. It helps me to recall the way I want to fear the Lord and honor Him in all my ways. I know we are told that this Fear of the Lord that the Bible speaks of isn’t actually fear but a reverence, but this is a topic that I would beg to differ on. I believe that the Fear of God is a mixture of both reverence and actual fear.

Reverence by definition is honor or respect felt or shown.

Fear by definition is an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger. It is, to be afraid of : expect with alarm or to have a reverential awe of.

God teaches us not to fear a lot of things:

Jeremiah 1:8 NLT

And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

2 Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Matthew 10:28-31

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

But He also instructs us to fear Him. This fear, the fear of God is rightly placed. Just like we are taught and told to “Trust God” or to “Trust in the Lord” I believe we should be taught to “Fear God” and to “Fear the Lord”.

I believe that we are told to trust God for numerous reasons. Some of the reasons are listed below and can be used as the same reasons for why we should fear God as well:

He knows the end from the beginning.

Isaiah 46:10 NLT

Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.

He holds the world in the palm of his hand.

Isaiah 40:12 NLT

The Lord Has No Equal

Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?

He holds our future.

Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

He is all powerful, almighty and all knowing.

Matthew 19:26 NLT

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

Luke 1:37 NLT

For the word of God will never fail.”

Genesis 17:1 NLT

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.

Psalm 147:5 NLT

How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!

1 John 3:20 NLT

Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

Nobody is greater than God.

1 Kings 8:23 NLT

and he prayed,

“O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.

Isaiah 46:9 NLT

Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me.

We should look to God in our times of trouble and times of need but we should also look to God to obey Him as well. How well do you listen to someone you fear vs someone you don’t respect at all?

Our response to this would probably all be the same. I’d listen to the person I feared really well and to the person I didn’t respect or consider I’d probably never listen to them. Fear can be healthy when it is in the right things. For example, if I fear getting a ticket I will do everything in my power not to park my car where I shouldn’t and be mindful of street signs, keeping the speed limit and following the proper rules and regulations for safe driving.

The same goes for fearing God. If I know that God is God and that there is no god/one like Him, I also know that He should be reverenced. On top of me fearing Him, what is being said by Him would also matter to me. I would want to do the things that God wants me to do because I know that they will protect me, keep me safe, give me the results I am looking for, provide for me, help me in specific areas and so much more. Why wouldn’t I listen to what God is asking of me? If I feared the outcome of my life regarding disobeying God I would follow and obey Him all the way. Fear is not a bad thing if it’s applied to the RIGHT THINGS.

Considering all that I mentioned and the incident of breaking my leg. If I’d of had a bit more fear and reverence for my mom when she told me not to go out that afternoon I wouldn’t have gone through the experience I did with almost losing my leg (and trust me that is an experience that I would of passed up on 100 times over). I also know that it’s cliche to say “I wouldn’t change anything about my past because it made me who I am.” I completely understand where this statement comes from and I get it. Although I don’t regret what I’ve been through I also am aware that I could have been much further in life or dodged a lot of hurt and trouble had I not made some of the mistakes I’ve made in my past. Can I learn from each of these mistakes? Yes, but there are some mistakes that I’d rather not had to learn from. Or their are other mistakes that there is no coming back from. For instance, if I would of lost my leg from the bike incident the loss of a leg would not have been worth the “lesson learned”. If we all were to be honest with ourselves, there are a lot of things that not fearing (reverencing and being aware of) God has caused us to experience that we most likely would of been better off not experiencing.

Proverbs 9:10 NLT

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

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