Stress. That would be the single word that best describes the last few years of my life. So much so that when we rounded the corner into 2014, I began to pray, “Lord, will You please grant me a season of rest?” I was so weary that it didn’t seem like a selfish thing to ask for. I felt like I wouldn’t be able to keep going without some time to re-energize. Maybe I just wasn’t specific enough in my request… ‘cuz I was kind of thinking about several months, maybe even a whole year of rest! And initially, it …
In the Wandering
Have you ever found yourself stumbling through the dark in the middle of the night? Whether it’s to calm a crying child or to find your way to the bathroom, we’ve all had the experience of feeling disoriented and frustrated trying to navigate through a dark place. Arms outstretched, we feel our way through the dark for something familiar. We hope our eyes adjust while we look for some sort of light. And then it happens. We run into an unexpected wall or we choose a path we were sure was the right way only to find out it didn’t …
Taking Time to Connect
I always say when God wants to minister to someone, He orchestrates a relationship! People are often more receptive when they are in a non-judgment zone. God sends people into our lives to prepare us, minister to us and sharpen us as we travel on our journeys. Proverbs 27: 17 (NIV), “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” As I reflect on my own personal relationships, I just begin to thank God. I have had the awesome opportunity to encounter some wonderful people on my path. I have been the one encouraging and have been the recipient of …
You Were…. But Now You’re NEW
Renewed – to begin again, to make effective for an additional period. Wow, when we look at the dictionary definition of “Renewed” we probably all wish we could be that or do that. I am sure our minds go immediately to moments in life that we wish we could “do over”. Of course that’s where the enemy wants to take us…to the moments in life that we were at our worst. But the truth is apart from Jesus we are the worst. Thank you Jesus because of the cross, because of the blood shed on Calvary, because of his pain …
Trust and Obey
The year 2015 came with a personal triumph in the areas of trust and obedience. I learned the real meaning of depending on God. Up until 2015, I had always heard testimonies from great men and women of God telling of how they stepped out on faith and obeyed God. They told of how God provided for them or how God gave them resources for different projects that they knew were from Him. God told me it was my time to learn this lesson for myself. In October, I left my government job that I had been so comfortable with for the …
The Lord Showed Me
A 2016 Repost from My Journey of Faith Magazine by Katie Clifton This past year, the Lord showed me that I don’t need to make plans. He showed me His ways are best and that I am strongest and most pliable when I am on my face before Him. I spent most of 2014 fighting God on church planting. I ran from it. I cried over it. I begged God to call someone else. Then, I surrendered with excitement and joy. In 2015, we launched Renew Church. It is wonderful. It is a gift. It is refreshing and reviving and …
Skipping Thanksgiving
One of my biggest pet peeves is decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving. I did it once back in college when my friend Tiffany and I roomed together. Since we just couldn’t wait for Christmas, our decorations were up in early November. All I remember was enjoying the decorations…for the first few weeks. By the time Christmas got here, the novelty had ended. Of course, I don’t even remember Thanksgiving that year. Ever since then I made an unwritten rule that I’d never decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving. More important than when we choose to decorate for Christmas, many of us …
Hearts of Gratitude
In looking up the word “gratitude” from various sources, most of the definitions were very similar and what one might expect: thankfulness, the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness; a natural expression of thanks in response to blessings, protection, or love, etc… One definition, however, significantly stuck out to me: gratitude is a joyful commitment of one’s personality to God. In researching gratitude chronologically in the Bible, it took me a while to find it, which was surprising to me! Although we don’t see a “thank you” in the first few chapters of …
Passion for Jesus
As I sat in this very large arena surrounded by thousands of women, I was mesmerized by the words that slapped me in the face. Words so powerful I could not move… words that formed a question that I must answer. I had come to Beth Moore’s Living Proof conference with a group of my church women. We had already attended many of her conferences to hear what the Lord would teach us through Beth’s words. God uses women who are willing and obedient to His leading and Beth is one such woman. He uses her to speak His words …
