When the wind is in your face, keep your head down and keep pedaling. My husband introduced me to cycling 12 years ago. I was hooked from the beginning. I love cycling outside, but am definitely a fair weather rider. There have been times while riding on a windy day, that I have had to just dig in and put my head down and pedal with everything I had. As I was thinking about this, it reminds me of times in my Christian walk, when nothing seemed to be going right and satan’s attacks were evident. During these times, I tell myself, …
Our Attitude is the Prophet of the Future
How’s your attitude today? There’s a saying, ‘you are what you think.’ What’s on your mind lately, and how is that reflected in your demeanor? Do people smile when they see you, or is your conduct telling them something else? Some people who aren’t Christians, seem to think that we should just go around smiling and singing all day long and not have a bad day. This is not one of God’s promises. Although He did promise a fulfilling life with a Godly purpose, God does allow pain and suffering among His children. We should …
Authenticity
Authenticity is defined as “you’re true to your own personality, values, and spirit, regardless of the pressure that you’re under to act otherwise. You’re honest with yourself and with others, and you take responsibility for your mistakes.” Life is hard and some people go out of their way to be something they’re not. It’s okay to have a goal, a dream that pushes us to be a better version of ourself. It’s when our character doesn’t match up to our true self that starts to alter our ego and personality. God made each of us in …
God Works for Good, Even Through Sin and Evil
Life is sometimes hard to figure out. One minute we’re breezing through life, things are going well and then within a blink of an eye, tragedy happens. Two things happen when tragedy occurs. You either cry out to God, or you blame Him. God loves His people, those who know Him, those who have a relationship with Him. He ALWAYS wants the best for His kids. As trials come, they test the strength of our faith. In every trial, we are tested, refined, and made stronger than before. Before you go blaming God for your current situation, stop …
Out of Reach
There is literally nowhere that we can go that is out of God’s reach. God never wearies listening to the burdens of His people. There is no situation we will ever face that is out of God’s control, so the best place to be is right with Him. All the pain, suffering, adversity, difficult days and years – they all have a purpose. God is using them to make us perfect, to make us into the image of His Son. You may have heard this statement before: Nothing is impossible with God. It’s true my friends. Absolutely nothing is out …
Life is Swift
Life is swift. As we age into our adult years, time seems to pass by like a speeding train. It appears one minute we’re in the prime of our life and we wake up one day and we’re a half century old. Oh how I wish I knew now what I did back then. But, I’ve realized that God always gives us what we need at any given time. It may not be what we want, but He promises to meet our needs. Life here on earth is so temporary and short. Life passes so quickly. God gives everyone a …
Power
Being the victim of a power outage can be humbling. One minute you have lights and heat, and then quiet, stillness. As a Christian we have the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s always available. But when we neglect it and do our own thing, the power wanes and at times can be snuffed out. It’s a sin to grieve the Holy Spirit. This is a part of God. Stay tuned into God. Get to know Him. Many people who do not really know God nor fully understand the scriptures, try to live out of their own strength and …
Stalled at Uncomfortable Places
Life can sometimes be frustrating. I get it. As a Christian, your first “go-to” should be prayer. But when our prayer request doesn’t meet our timetable, we try and go it alone; take matter into our own hands. We find our circumstances lingering for days, weeks, maybe even years. Seek God first and everything else will fall into place. He sees your heart. He knows your needs. Don’t get hung up on what’s not going right, but put your focus on His goodness and what’s going well. Just because we don’t see immediate changes, doesn’t mean that God didn’t hear …
Justice
Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is looking. Dishonesty is the opposite. But, justice rules in the end. No one likes to think of God as an angry, mean God, but He will not let sin go unpunished. History shows that justice will eventually come to all. Because of the law of justice, we receive blessings when we obey God’s commandments. The law of justice also demands that a penalty be paid for every sin we commit. Jesus paid that penalty for us. Do the right thing, always. Trust in God to bring the justice …
Rear View Mirror
Ever notice how much bigger the front windshield of a car is in comparison to the rear window? It’s much more important to be able to see what’s ahead than what’s behind us. As it is with life. We need to be looking ahead to the future, instead of dwelling on the past; what we left behind. It’s ok to remember the days gone by, just don’t stay there. Put your hope and future in God’s hands and quit dwelling on the past. Because doing so can cause us to get stuck where we are. Stop repeating the same …
Relentless
There will be some who dismiss you; reject you or even abandon you. Broken promises and neglected commitments will make you weary, but there is a God who is watching and waiting to pick up the pieces and heal your heart. God has a fierce love for His people. He’s relentless in His pursuit for you and me. When the world rejects you, turn to God. Rejoice in God’s relentless pursuit of your heart. God will never give up on you as long as you seek Him in your daily walk through life. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 – “Rejoice always, …
Building Confidence
Have you ever watched a child whose upbringing has been supported and loved, face a challenge? Their past experiences have prepared them that they can do anything if they put their mind to it. Shouldn’t we all act like God’s children? If you truly have a relationship with Christ, you will have the confidence to face anything life launches your way. My hope is in Christ alone. And even though there are days when my self-confidence is fading, I can trust God to build me up. Jeremiah 17:7 – “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose …