When God Whispers

Posted on June 30, 2018 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

“I heard Him! He whispered to me! He said that I’m a dew drop of sunshine!” This from a precious little one in our VBS Discovery Station. “Me too! He said that I’m beautiful!” “He told me that I’m a victorious warrior!” Others joined in sharing what they’d heard from the Holy Spirit during our listening moments. What a delight it was for me to see their hearts open to the loving words of their Heavenly Father!

I had been teaching the children that we can have confidence in who God says we are only if we know what He says about us! First, we looked at what the Word of God tells us. We are loved with an everlasting love! We are made wonderfully in the image of God! In Jesus, we are set free, healed, and victorious! All powerful truths. Yet there is so much more! Our Father wants us to spend time with Him, sharing our hearts and listening for His voice. How amazing to begin developing the skill of knowing His voice at a young age! (John 10:3, 14:6)

It was recently that I was encouraged to do just what I had asked the children to do… sit and listen, asking God to tell me how He sees me. Have you ever tried that? I have had experiences with hearing the Lord, so I wasn’t really concerned that He wouldn’t speak, but I was a bit nervous about what I was going to hear. I wasn’t prepared for how quickly I would hear! It’s like He’d been sitting on the edge of His seat waiting for me to ask! I grabbed a pen & paper and began writing down His words of life and love for me. I felt so treasured and valued as He poured His love over me like only a Daddy can!

God longs for us to sit up and take notice of His thoughts written across all creation! He has made His love abundantly clear through the plan of redemption and He inspired Biblical writers to take note of His handiwork. Yet, there is more! Just as we have daily conversations with those we love, our Heavenly Dad has words of life for us each day that take our understanding of Him and His love for us to new levels. Paul said it this way in Ephesians 1:

^17”I pray that the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of revelation to know Him through your deepening intimacy with Him. ¹⁸I pray that the light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination, flooding you with light, until you experience the full revelation of the hope of His calling—that is, the wealth of God’s glorious inheritances that He finds in us, His holy ones! ¹⁹I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith.” tPt

During my lesson, one of the kids asked me, “How do you know that it is God speaking?” Don’t we all wonder that at times? “Lord, is that you?” “How do I know He is speaking and it’s not just my thoughts?” Whenever God speaks, He is faithful to His character. He will not ask us to be or do anything that contradicts who He is or His Word (Hebrews 13:8). God’s voice will not discourage, condemn, or tempt us (John 3:17, James 1:13). God’s whispers will not devalue you and I but rather will speak life into our spirits (John 6:63)!¹

When God whispers into our hearts and spirits, His desire is to draw us into deeper relationship with Him! Can you feel the Father’s hunger to spend time with you? He tells us to seek Him and we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). He whispers your name in the chaos of life. He wants to encourage you and I to see ourselves as He sees us—as He created us to be! When we get a revelation of who He is and who we are to Him, we develop the deepening intimacy with Him that enables us to act and react from a place of perfect love instead of a place of ignorance, hurt, fear, or desperation.

He calls to us through His handiwork: in the vibrant sunset, across a shimmering rainbow, on the wings of a butterfly, and in the arms of a loved one. But He also waits for our ears to tune in to His heart. He whispers truth and life to our spirits. Will you pause and listen? Ask your Heavenly Dad to tell you how He sees you! Embrace the truths He drops into your heart and then combine them with truths from His Word. Write them down! Declare those truths! Your thinking patterns will be transformed into His as you renew your mind with the power of His Words, both written and revealed! (See Romans 12:2, I Corinthians 2:16)

Live Loved, because you truly are!

¹To learn more about listening to the right voice, read this blog post by Kris Vallotton.

Passion and Purpose

Posted on May 31, 2018 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

“Marriage is an adventure, like going to war.” Gilbert Chesterton’s observation is more true than starry-eyed newlyweds would want to consider. Ask any couple who has journeyed through some years together and they will admit that the dance of married life is not without a few battle scars.

Thirty one years… that’s how long our dance has been going! What a joy it is to celebrate another milestone of marriage! As I reflect on our journey, it’s not unlike most others… ups and downs, sickness and health, maybe a bit more poor than rich, some better, some worse.

However, it’s our own one-of-a-kind love story as well.

This dance of marriage has had moments of closeness and distance. At times life has moved fast with the driving beat, at other times, slow with the cadence of grief. We’ve had times of holding each other’s hands tightly and moments of drifting apart.

At our last ladies’ retreat, I posed this challenge: State 3 words that make your marriage strong and lasting. The answers were almost as varied as the women! Communication, patience, forgiveness, grace, whoopie, laughter, compassion, wine! Many of these are answers I’ve given when asked that same question.

Today while thinking about our (thankfully) thriving marriage, I felt fresh words whisper across my heart.

Deep, lasting, authentic, rich marriages are established by passion and purpose.

Of course, physical passion is a valuable and desirable part of marriage and I hope you picked your spouse on purpose. 🙂 But I’m thinking of passion and purpose in a different light.

Passion is a strong or compelling desire for someone or something while purpose is a steely-eyed resolve to follow through on commitment. Marriages are the joining of two individuals who have their own ideas, agendas, and protocols. We all come into marriage with a boatload of “stuff” and along with our baggage, we bring expectations of married life that are typically unreasonable and unattainable for two fallible people.

So how do we manage to negotiate the minefields of marriage and come through on the other side somewhat intact?

Passion… that strong and compelling desire… is needed to establish the heart culture of God in our home. This heart culture is one where failure encounters forgiveness, weaknesses encounter grace, and love never fails.

The passionate pursuit of God’s love will establish a culture of Godly love in our marriage! Ideally, both a husband and wife passionately pursing this life of love, will experience Kingdom culture in their home. That’s not to say that one spouse cannot accomplish it alone! God is faithful and will follow through on His part as we pursue His heart of love for our spouse (I Corinthians 13:4-8a).

Purpose… that steely-eyed commitment… is needed to stand strong when the storms of life batter our marriage. God established you and your spouse as a single unit to work as one (Genesis 2:24). No, it’s not simple, or easy, or convenient. Sometimes it’s painful, and confusing, and scary.

But set your eyes, not on your spouse, but on the Lover of your soul! Link your arm in His and purpose to stand strong for your marriage. Pursue God’s heart and seek His wisdom for you and your spouse. Seeing God weave your marriage into a tapestry of love, healing, and restoration is worth the struggle!

There’s a plethora of marriage advice available out there if you feel yourself faltering in your journey together¹. That advice can be helpful; but one of the greatest blessings for Andy and I was when we sought the help and support of others who’d been through some battles themselves. There is no perfect duet… get close enough to any thriving married couple and they may share some of their battle scars along with their victory stories. Learn from others, grow in your relationship skills, be willing to find authentic people who will invest in you as you invest in your marriage. Purpose and passion, passion and purpose. “Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it—because it does.” I Corinthians 14:1 (MSG)

Live Loved,

P.S. My heart is to encourage others! If this blog encouraged you, please share on social media. 🙂 If you would like me to pray for your marriage or that of another, please message me! I would be honored to pray with you!

¹Rejoice Marriage Ministries is a great resource: https://www.rejoiceministries.org/

A Call to Rest

Posted on May 19, 2018 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

Busyness

It’s the nature of our lives in the current culture.

Jobs, families, chores, meals, church, sports, clubs, school, hobbies, fitness…

None of it is bad, but it all requires time. And no matter how old we are, how rich we are, or how dedicated we are, we only get 24 hours each day.

Busyness can be physically and emotionally draining. What’s more, it can drain your relationships too. The sense of being overwhelmed can lead to forgetfulness, frustration, and even physical discomfort. That was my reality not long ago as chest pains, choking sensations, and tension headaches became nearly a daily occurrence. As I looked at my responsibility “plate,” there was very little that I could abandon. Yet, I wasn’t content to tolerate my “new normal.”

Let me first say that you cannot underestimate the power of partnership or the power of prayer! I’m so thankful for family and friends that prayed and continue to pray with me and for me! There are days I feel like Moses with a battle at my feet. Yet, I’m blessed with people to hold me up through the “fight!” (Exodus 17)

In an effort to conquer my stress, I talked with the doctor, pursued natural methods, and took steps to lower my salt intake.* But I also knew that my body was calling out for rest! There’s a reason that Our Creator chose to rest on the 7^th day. He modeled rest for us, not because He needed it, but because He knew that we would!

On a side note**: Choosing to push ourselves beyond reason seems noble… but in reality, it is a symptom of pride. Does any of this sound familiar? “If I want it done right, I have to do it myself.” “It’s just easier to do it alone.” “I don’t want to bother anyone with my needs.” “I don’t have time to show someone how to do this.” While all of these might be true, there’s something humbling and heartening about asking for help and enjoying the reward of working alongside another to achieve a goal! And in all truth… there are other people who can do what we do just as well if not better! (Check out Jethro’s wisdom for Moses in Exodus 18.) **There is no extra charge for this ~~challenge~~ side note! 🙂

During this season I felt the Lord say, “I’m issuing a call to rest! Come sit here with Me and rest!” I knew this was not just a word for me, but for all of us who are expending loads of energy just to keep everything afloat. In the book of Mark, the disciples were so busy with the people that they didn’t even have time to eat. Jesus called to His friends, “Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Sit & Listen… Can you hear His call to you and me in the midst of life’s busyness? “Come to Me and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

breathe by Miranda Joy Designs

Soak your feet
Read a book
Take a walk
Paint a picture
Listen to music
Enjoy a power nap
Savor your coffee (or tea)
Embrace the sunset
Watch animals at play
Gaze at the stars

When we choose to rest in Our Father’s presence, it restores our mind’s focus, rejuvenates our body, and feeds our spirit. A day free of responsibility is fabulous, but rare. So, be tenacious about finding mini-chunks of rest scattered through your busy days. Listen as He whispers your name, calling you to rest with Him.

Just as a note of rest on a music sheet ushers in a sweeter tune, your time of rest will bring a sweeter, resounding sense of strength to complete what lies ahead.

Live Loved,

*God is so faithful! Those symptoms are gone and I’m making wiser choices even in the midst of my still busy days!

Favorite Friday: tPt

Posted on May 18, 2018 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

Sometimes a simple gift can create great impact. Such was the case when I opened the elegantly wrapped gift given to each lady at our first Women of Freedom retreat. Inside was a book titled, “The Psalms: Poetry on Fire.” It was an illustrated journaling edition of The Passion Translation of Psalms. I’d heard of this translation but was not overly familiar with it.

During our devotional time, as I began to read through one of my favorite Psalms, I was captivated by how this translation portrayed the heart of love the Father has for us! Not only is the text rich, but the footnotes added so much to my understanding of the text!

Adding creativity to your soaking time enriches it more than you might think! I appreciate the simplicity of the artwork and how it draws out Daddy’s Passion for us! My pouch of colored pencils & pens is put to good use!

Brian Simmons, the primary translator of tPt says this on his website: “The Passion Translation‘s philosophy is that the meaning of God’s original message to the world has priority over its exact form, which is why our goal is to communicate the meaning of Scripture as clearly and naturally as possible in modern English. Brian and other reviewers have sought to remain faithful to the original biblical languages by preserving their literal meaning, yet flexible enough to convey God’s original message in a way modern English speakers can understand. It is a balanced translation that tries to hold both the Word’s literal meaning and original message in proper tension, resulting in an entirely new, fresh, fiery translation of God’s Word.”1

As I study the Word of God, I have a few preferred versions. The Passion Translation was quickly added into the mix. When I want to really soak or embrace the heart of my Dad on something, The Passion Translation is my go to!

My husband blessed me with the newly released New Testament, Psalms & Proverbs for Christmas. The pages are thinner than the journaling one, but I’m still glad to have a hard copy in my hands!

Here’s a quick comparison of Ephesians 2:10 in two versions (both favorites, by the way!):

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” NIV

“We have become his poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it!” tPt

The biblical books that have been translated to date are available on biblegateway.com as well. Take a look! You’ll be blessed too!

Live Loved,

1https://www.thepassiontranslation.com/faqs/

Abundant Redemption

Posted on May 7, 2018 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

Have you ever gone to a restaurant where they are rather stingy with their condiments? They give you one ketchup for your large fries or a little sauce cup for 10 nuggets. At the bottom of your bag is a single napkin already touched with grease. The “just enough” service is not for me. I’m the kind of girl that likes a whole roll of paper towels on my table and the full bottle of dressing nearby! I prefer the “more than enough” mentality!

I’m so thankful for a Heavenly Dad who gives us more than enough! He is not stingy with His love, His comfort, or His healing. He is the Redeemer who goes above and beyond to bring us restoration! He gave His life for us so that we could spend eternity in fellowship with Him!

But He didn’t stop there! Because Our Redeemer is a “more than enough” God! He provides healing for our souls too (Psalm 34:22). Healing from difficult hurts often takes much longer than you and I would like. Sometimes we feel like we should be able to slap a bandage on life’s pain and when we pull it off a few days or a week later, “Tada!” all signs of the wound are about gone. However, emotional healing is a more lengthy and rather inglorious process. Even years into my own healing process, I found that certain memories were tainted. Something simple like a location or an innocent comment would trigger a painful memory.

So it was the other night when I drove past a particular road. The enemy tried to blindside me with painful thoughts and I squashed them down as I’ve learned to do. Just then, I felt a prompting to stop by a friend’s house in that same area to drop something off. After that quick errand, I started to drive away and saw a lovely work of art in the sky! I felt like the Lord said, “See, I am still redeeming what you thought you’d lost!” Right then, He blessed me with a new memory! It’s not the first time He’s done that and I know it won’t be the last. He is the Abundant Redeemer! He will fully restore all that the enemy has stolen!

“O Israel, hope in the Lord; For with the Lord there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption (Psalm 130:7 NKJV).” The Passion Translation of this verse says this: “O Israel, keep hoping, keep trusting, and keep waiting on the Lord, for He is tenderhearted, kind, and forgiving. He has a thousand ways to set you free!”

My “more than enough” God has a thousand ways to set me free! He has and will redeem painful memories, hurting relationships, and the bruises of a tender heart. What He does for me, He will do for you too! Do you need some things in your life redeemed? Have you had memories stolen or dreams smashed? Have you had relationships ripped apart or peace obliterated?

Praising YHVH Ga’al (the Lord my Redeemer)
Meghan Williams, Dyed4You Art

Then borrow some of my faith and latch onto these truths:

God restores the soul! (Psalm 23:2

He redeems our mind, will, and emotions (Psalm 69:18)

Our Dad heals the brokenhearted! (Psalm 147:3)

The King of kings creates beauty from ashes

He trades a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:1-3)

Our Lord will fill you with joy! (Psalm 16:11)

He is a good God and a good Dad! He loves you and wants to abundantly redeem all the hurting places in your life! How deeply I love my Heavenly Dad! He continues to show Himself faithful!

Live Loved,

If I can agree with you in prayer for a healing in your life, please let me know! I would be honored to pray for and with you!

Favorite Music Friday-Hello May!

Posted on May 4, 2018 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

Happy May 4th!

May is one of my favorite months! (Though, it’s not nearly as terrific as July A.K.A. My birthday month!) But May represents so many things to me:

The conclusion of a school year
Beach days
Family birthdays
Our ladies’ retreat
And Planning Vacation Bible School!
Our anniversary!

This year, our church, Freedom International Church, decided to develop our own VBS theme and curriculum! What a wonderful opportunity for people to exercise their gifts in a creative way! We are developing puppet blurbs, crafts, games, skits, and Bible points. Additionally, we need amazing songs that our kids can dance to and that also reflect our theme and heart.

Enter our Favorite Music Friday song of the week (suggested by the Hubby and introduced to us by our daughter, Miranda)-WaveWalker by Citizen Way! The lyrics are strong, the tune is fun, and the message is clear! Enjoy!

“You will make a way
When it feels like there’s no way
So I will walk by faith
‘Cause You will make a way”1

So thankful for that Holy Ghost power that enables us to do the impossible! Thank You, Lord!

Live Loved!

1 Lyrics from WaveWalker by Citizen Way

The Ripple Effect

Posted on April 28, 2018 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

In our area, we are truly blessed to have not only one, but three, wonderful Christian radio stations. I love to turn the volume up and sing along (even when I don’t know all the words). I enjoy the various DJ personalities, join in with the discussions (though they can’t hear me!) and appreciate the moments of prayer. Many times, songs have ministered to my heart with words that just touched me right where I was at in my journey.

The other day I was listening to a catchy new song when the chorus line caught my attention. “Dream Small” the artist sang, causing me to suddenly become alert to what was playing. Dream small? Wait… what? ~~Are you nuts?~~ No, no, no! We should dream big, huge, ginormously!

Not wanting to judge quickly, I listened to the verses and chorus again. I discovered that the song writer wanted people to realize that ministry need not wait for global opportunities but can happen daily by simply being kind, giving, listening, being faithful, and living well.

I agree, please do ALL of those things, but DON’T.DREAM.SMALL!! Don’t sell short the impact of what those “small” things can do!

Anyone who has read a few of my posts or has heard me preach or teach knows that touching people in our realm of influence is a theme I’m passionate about! I wrote about impacting others in All Embracing Love as well as being Sweet and Savory. Touching the lives around us is a desire that is close to God’s heart too. We hear His encouragement sprinkled throughout Scripture:

Be kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32)
Be generous (Proverbs 11:25)
Be thankful (Colossians 3:15)
Be peaceful (see above)
Be gentle (II Timothy 2:24)
Be patient (I Thessalonians 5:14)

And above all this, we are to pursue, go hard after, be purposeful about, deliberately love (I Corinthians 14:1).

To the untrained eye, these “random acts of kindness” may indeed seem small. It may feel like we are just making a dent in the work of reaching a hurting world. BUT GOD!

When we reach out to touch others with compassion and kindness, it is no small thing! Have you ever tossed a pebble into a lake? That “small” piece of rock causes a ripple effect, sending out multiple rings of movement on the lake’s surface and even below as it descends.

As we are faithful to impact our realm of influence, God is faithful to send others to water or harvest the seeds we planted (I Corinthians 3:6-8). Or maybe we are those that water; we may even have the opportunity to reap! What you and I do when we are kind, faithful, consistent, patient, and giving… creates a ripple effect in His Kingdom because God gives the increase.

Don’t dream small! Act small… sowing acts of grace towards others… then, Dream big!!! Believe that the ripple effect from your kindness, faithfulness, and gentleness will reach farther than you ever imagined! After all, it’s our Father, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, who gives the increase. And He is really good at multiplication!

Close your eyes… well, read this and then close your eyes… picture in your mind a big, loveable, dog who has just jumped into a vat of blessing. Climbing out, it excitedly gives a full-body shake that spreads droplets of blessing on everyone in a 20 feet radius. That blessing-sharing character is you! Jump into your Father’s love, soak up some blessing, and go shake it all over everyone you meet!

Live Loved, it makes loving others easier!

Please comment and share on social media! We are blessed to be a blessing!

Favorite Music Friday-Soothe the Savage!

Posted on April 20, 2018 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

Stress… that’s my savage beast!

Life is stressful! Even when things are going well, stress is par for the course. But there are times when the stress is more intense and managing it becomes a priority. One of my anti-stress go-tos is music!

The two songs I’m posting today offer truths that compliment one another…. “Don’t worry” & “Pray till your breakthrough breaks through the ceiling!” Both can be summed up in Philippians 4:6-8!

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

As you listen to these songs, let that prescription soak in: Don’t worry, Give thanks, Pray, Believe the good report! God is always “Right on Time!” Here’s Aaron Cole & TobyMac:

“I know your problems seem God sized
If you can see ’em through God’s eyes (take a looksie)
Yeah, he’s right on time, right on time!”¹

Follow that great advice with this from Unspoken: “Don’t you give up on a miracle! You’ve got to speak to the impossible. You’ve got to pray till your break through breaks through the ceiling, keep on believing! Don’t you give up, don’t you give up on a miracle!”²

Hope these songs speak to your soul too!

Live Loved!

¹Lyrics from Right on Time by Aaron Cole

²Lyrics from Miracle by Unspoken

Favorite Music Good Friday

Posted on March 30, 2018 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

Sometimes, a song comes along and all I want to do is:

Sit… soak… listen… rest…

allowing peace to go deep in in my soul as awe rises in my spirit!

I can’t necessarily explain the why, but some music just makes me melt inside.

This week, it’s been this song by HIllsong: So Will I (100 Billion X)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGp_UCoPYAk

On this Good Friday, when we remember that Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for an imperfect people He dearly loved, dwell on the truth and amazingness of these lyrics:

God of salvation
You chased down my heart
Through all of my failure and pride
On a hill You created
The light of the world
Abandoned in darkness to die

And as You speak
A hundred billion failures disappear
Where You lost Your life so I could find it here
If You left the grave behind You so will I
I can see Your heart in everything You’ve done
Every part designed in a work of art called love
If You gladly chose surrender so will I
I can see Your heart
Eight billion different ways
Every precious one
A child You died to save
If You gave Your life to love them so will I

source: https://www.lyricsondemand.com/h/hillsongunitedlyrics/sowilli100billionxlyrics.html

He gave His all for you because He loves you!

Live Loved,

Building Giant Killer Faith A.K.A Nurturing Your Mustard Seed

Posted on March 26, 2018 by themoreys@tampabay.rr.com

Yes, this is a mustard seed!

Have you ever seen an actual mustard seed?

Tiny, right?! It’s hard to imagine that inside that bitty thing is a tree!

But that tree will only grow if the right conditions exist. The same is true of our faith.

When Jesus challenged His “interns” to choose forgiveness instead of offense–over and over–they must have been shocked! Their response was, (in my own words) “You have to be kidding! You want us to forgive someone that many times? Then You are going to have to increase our faith, because we ~~want to knock them a good one~~ that doesn’t seem possible!”

His response: “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” (Luke 17) He said it this way another time: “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Amazing thought, right!! (Matthew 17)

Remember that teeny tiny mustard seed? It’s chock FULL of potential for power in the spirit realm! It can rock mountains, uproot challenges, and knock down giants!

But that seed needs to be nurtured and cared for, so that the tree within can mature and become a flourishing tower of declaration that is well-known in hallways of Hell!

Check out the size of this mustard tree!

So… how do we nurture our mustard seed faith? How do we provide and enhance the conditions needed for our faith-seed to grow? Consider what every plant needs to grow:

Soil: Our faith needs to be planted in truth, the Truth of God’s Word, His love for us, and His promises to us. Be sure that your soil is kept healthy and fresh. Daily devotionals like Jesus Calling are helpful for stirring in Truth each day. Also, remember to add nutrients! (Psalm 119:105)

Nutrients: These are the truths of what God has already done for you! It’s the memories of prayers answered, the miracles we have experienced, the people who have been blessings to us. (Psalm 89:1,14-18) Create a journal of remembrance that you can re-read when your faith needs a boost!

Water: Pouring thankfulness over your heart and mind will water that seed of faith! Thankfulness is a declaration that life is far from perfect, but there are blessings all around for the faith-building heart to find. (Psalm 103:1-14) Start each day by listing 10 things you are thankful for! (Hot water is one of my list-toppers!)

Pruning: This is the uncomfortable part of growing. Sometimes we need to remove that which hinders growth. Pull out the weeds of negative thinking, tear down lies the enemy whispers, and cut off ~~commentators~~ comments of gloom & doom. This will leave plenty of space for faith to grow! (John 8:44 says that satan is the father of lies!)

Sonshine: Soak up the light of His Son! There is no substitute for sitting at the feet of Jesus! If that sounds foreign or odd to you, try finding a quiet place and calm the frantic pace of your mind; ask the Lord to come and rest on you… then wait! His warmth and light will bring you peace that will cause your faith to bloom! (Mark 6:31)

Faith seems abstract and hard to grasp… we wouldn’t call it “faith” if it wasn’t!

Hebrews 11:1 in the International Children’s Bible says it beautifully: “Faith means being sure of the things we hope for. And faith means knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.”

Sometimes it’s hard to see beyond life’s struggles to the victories on the other side, but taking concrete and purposeful steps to grow our faith will help us stand strong believing that victory will come!

Watch out giants! There’s some rock-sized faith coming your way!

Live Loved,

P.S. Click the reply button to share some of your victories to encourage other readers! P.P.S Also, sharing this post on social media will bless others (and me!) Thank you!