"Do Overs!"

An acquaintance of mine recently stated she wishes she had a ‘do over’ in life…a chance to go back to her twenties and make decisions that would make her 50-year-old life better. Specifically, she said she would change her past choices in relationships, jobs, and finances.

Without getting into time-travel theories (which give me a head-ache anyway) we can only guess that removing obstacles might have changed blessings. Scripture tells us to consider our trials and tribulations pure joy…. “because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

The point is, it is only through Christ that we get a ‘Do Over’ in life. We find newness in knowing of his sacrifice for us and his forgiveness of our sins.

“Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:3

If we spend our time constantly reviewing all of our “mistakes” we will never move forward. Learn from the past, but don’t dwell on it. The life you have right now…today…is the one you must build on. Put your hope in the Lord and RENEW!

Linnie

Even If You Don't Believe in Yourself.....

Even if you don't believe in yourself...BELIEVE IN GOD!

As humans we are limited in what we can do...however through God....ALL things are possible.

It is only natural that we give in to doubt sometimes. We tell ourselves:

• "I'll never find work"
• "I'll never be debt-free"
• "I'll never be able to save"
• "I'll never lose weight"
• "I'll never find love"
• "I'll never get a degree"
• "I'll never get well"
• "I'll never travel"
• "I'll never have a nice house"
• "I'll never be a good parent"

We may have a laundry list of "I'll nevers" and perhaps there are things we are not meant to have, however believe that God will bless you and NEVER leave you alone. Count on it!

"You can't always get what you want...but if you try sometimes, you just might find....you get what you need! Rolling Stones lyrics

Believe and do not DOUBT! Read the following passage:

Mark 9:15-29

15As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
16"What are you arguing with them about?" he asked.
17A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.
18Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."
19"O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."
20So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"
"From childhood," he answered.
22"It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."
23" `If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
24Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
25When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."
26The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead."
27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
28After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
29He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."

My Soul Looks Back and Wonders....

"Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
Look to the LORD and his strength;

seek his face always.

Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,"

Psalms 105:1-5

When we think about where we are, versus where we could have been, or where we should have been, it sometimes sends a shiver up our spine. And when we wonder exactly what it was that set us straight and put us on the right path, we come to only one conclusion -- it wasn't us or anything we did! It was God's grace and mercy.

Left to our own devices we would still be holding on to our less that perfect past. Our fear of what lies ahead keeps us holding on to broken promises and shattered dreams. Some of us spend our whole lives afraid to move ahead because we don’t know what awaits us. This is where faith comes in! Faith that God will lead us to where it is that He wants us to be. Once we understand that God only wants what’s best for us, then we realize that regardless of the circumstances, He is leading us to our good. We can leave fear behind and pursue life with vigor and confidence.

When we look back on past situations in our lives, we are reminded of how God blessed us -- whether we were aware of it at the time or not. We remember moments when we didn’t have a dime and yet, we always had a place to eat and sleep. We recall situations that we thought we would never get out of and yet, we did. We think of all the daggers that were thrown our way -- some we saw, some we didn’t -- and, although some were able to pierce us, none were able to stop us. We are reminded that He took care of the big things as well as the small.


(*excerpt from This Far by Faith: How to Put God First in Everyday Living by Linnie Frank and Andria Hall)

The Voice of the Lord

"The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.

The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars....

The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning.

The voice of the LORD shakes the desert....

The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare.

And in his temple all cry,

"Glory!""

Psalms 29:3-9

Many people wonder what God sounds like when He speaks to us. Does He speak with a whisper or a shout? Does He speak while we are awake or while we are sleeping? Is His voice the sound of rolling thunder or of a falling leaf. And, how do we know if it's really Him we are hearing, or just our own ego?

Some people say we don’t hear God, but feel him - as a warm summer breeze when we are doing something good, or as a sudden cold chill when we are doing wrong. Others say they converse with God on a regular basis - He dictates to them what they need to know and what they need to do. They simply follow His command.

Maybe the voice you hear depends on your definition of God. Perhaps if you view God as an omnipotent power, external to yourself, you expect to hear His booming voice at every turn. You wait for the earth to move or for bricks to fall on your head to know that He is indeed talking to you.

Or, if you look for God within yourself, you may seek peaceful, meditative moments to feel His presence and guidance. You seek sunrises, sunsets and solitude to commune with your God.

....God does speak! He speaks in all the ways mentioned above and many more. He speaks through others and He speaks directly. If you are not hearing God, it is not because He isn’t speaking, it is because you are not listening. Know that God is speaking to you continuously and constantly - you’ve just got to learn how to LISTEN!*

(*excerpt from This Far by Faith: How to Put God First in Everyday Living by Linnie Frank and Andria Hall)