I’ve been thinking about what Pastor Rick Ross preached last weekend @nlchurch. It was all about truly trusting God, His plan for you and the boundaries He has established. I appreciate and have learned to establish boundaries for myself, but I didn’t think of them as part of my faith so much as part of God’s protection. Walking by faith and observing God’s boundaries has indeed led me to a place I’d always wanted to be and had stopped believing was possible. I prayed for it

Why do we think that someone else’s sin is worse than ours? And, why do we think that God will forgive some people, but not others? Celebrate His mercy and forgiveness, rather than wish for revenge or punishment for others - this is the kind of love that Jesus gives us so that we can experience the fullness of His grace! #grace #mercy #love #goodgoodfather #forgiven #childofgod #shalom #yourjourneytobeingwhole #dailydevotional

This is one thing that I can always say - God has been faithful to me all my days! I have not been faithful to Him all my days. I’ve had seasons of wandering and seasons of spiritual drought, but the Lord was with me every step of the way. He has used my suffering for His glory and given me beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness! I will always sing of the goodness and faithfulness of God! #godisfaithful #goodgoodfat

I’ve heard faith in Jesus and the Bible called “blind faith.” But Jesus promises us that we’ll never walk by faith in the darkness- so it’s not really blind then, is it? Believing in or for something you cannot see isn’t blind if you have something to base it on - and we do! We have the true, proven and unwavering word of God, we have the transformational grace of God, and the Holy Spirit who helps us navigate through everything every day. We have the power of Christ in us to

Can you declare that with confidence? With complete faith? It is true! It doesn’t mean that the Lord is going to give you everything you want or dream of, though. That’s a genie in a bottle, not our all-knowing, wonder-working God who only does what is BEST for us. There is a line in the movie “Rudy,” where the priest tells him that in his years of serving God and people he is certain of two things: “There is a God, and I’m not Him.” No matter how wise we become, we don’t kno

I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to be very tenacious. This has been a good thing many times, because I persevere through all kinds of difficulties. But, sometimes, I don’t let go of something that God is removing, or recognize when it’s time to switch gears. Don’t get me wrong, I know how to wait on the Lord, but sometimes I just don’t listen as well as I should. Sometimes, I just need to just step back and let God be God. How about you? #godisincontrol #childof

When God keeps us waiting, it’s always purposeful - Not a sign that He isn’t listening or doesn’t care. He tells us many times to wait, but to do so with expectation and peace. Usually the verb used actually means to be active while you’re waiting - I think it’s like preparing for Him to come through. So do the things He said and keep doing them. He will not forget His promise to you! #waitonthelord #goodgoodfather #childofgod #thelordiswithyou #walkinthespirit #shalom #yourj

Anxiety is epidemic in our culture - there are so many things for us to worry about that it can be overwhelming. This isn’t a new problem though. God was aware of our fears before we were, and He doesn’t want us to face them alone. Scripture tells us in many ways, to give our worries, doubts, fears and overwhelm to God. He wants to help us, to lighten our load and give us peace. We don’t have to grovel or bargain with Him, just surrender it to Him and He will help. “We put ou

Every day I rejoice! I remember praying for what God has given me - it’s not so much “things” as it is people and circumstances. Don’t get me wrong, having a home that I own and a clean, relatively new and reliable car are things that I prayed fervent for. I remember when I struggled to pay the rent and being broken down in the side of the road in the rain with babies in car seats and crying out to God. I cried out to God to keep my sons safe when they weren’t living right an

God makes us a lot of promises! Today I am reflecting on this one. It’s amazing to me that my Father God would have my back like this - as long as I am walking with Him, listening and obeying. He doesn’t expect perfection from me, He is looking at my heart. I can look back and see how He has protected and shielded me from the enemy’s attacks, big and small. I am blessed and grateful to call Him Lord! #goodgoodfather #childofgod #trustandobey #discipleship #christianliving #sh

When I think of how much time I’ve wasted that could have been spent in prayer or just sitting in the presence of the Lord, I’m humbled. God is always there, waiting for me and yet I am usually “busy.” But when I want God’s help or wisdom, or even just a hug - I expect Him to jump in full force without even a passing prayer. The thing is, He is always there when I need Him and He is always good! It’s me that needs to work on the relationship and improve communication- after

Receiving grace and giving grace are both so fundamental to our Christian walk. And yet, I think we have the most trouble with it. We have a culture that believes in punishment and getting what you deserve - even in church. But that’s karma, not grace. Jesus turned the culture upside down with grace. You don’t deserve it, you can’t earn it and it’s freely poured out to make sure you always have all you need! Open your heart to receive it!!! I know it’s hard, I struggled with

We all need hope! Today I pray for hope to grow in each one of you and in me - that we may be confident in our pursuit of God and His will. That we would spread that hope like a wild fire that over comes darkness and destroys despair. We are the children of God, the apple of His eye and we have SO SO much to look forward to! #BEthechurch #childofgod #goodgoodfather #hope #hopeinthelord #shalom #yourjourneytobeingwhole #dailydevotional

I can remember times when I prayed this, sang it, or spoke it… but didn’t really believe it. Why don’t I have everything I need, I would think… especially when I didn’t have enough money for bills or to feed my kids. Looking back I can see how He did make sure that we were taken care of - how He was my provider. I also see how He delivered me from so many situations and how He ALWAYS set my feet in a rock. It’s important to remember what the Lord has done for you, to remember

There’s a saying, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” The thing is, our God really cares about us and that includes our desires, hopes, dreams and plans. He doesn’t ridicule them. He doesn’t give us everything we want, though. That wouldn’t be good parenting at all… and He is a perfect Father. He always does the right thing. He actually knows what our purposes and callings are. He is preparing and training us for them - we should pay attention to this! Becau

I’ve heard some of these lies and even believed them for a while in my life. When we are anxious or fearful, we are in the devil’s domain - and he lies and lies and lies to us. He wants us to believe the lies and fall deeply into his darkness, but he will settle for just making you doubt God and your faith. I remember many times, I would cry out because I felt “less than” and like I wasn’t good enough to be loved and treated well. I remember times when I felt so alone that th

Peace is something that all people seek. Deep down they know they are seeking God too, and they’ve invented many replacements for the one True God. Buddhism, Hinduism, and on and on - are all just man-made religions in a search for the peace that only comes from God. This peace requires faith, trust, and love so that you can submit your will to His perfect will for you. This is peace - when you know and act like you know that God will do all that He says and that you are oper

We need prayer. God doesn’t need us to pray, He longs to hear us want to talk to Him. Just like a parent listens to the voice of their child or a lover can’t wait to hear the voice of their beloved. Prayer is our great privilege- our audience with the King of the Universe and Creator of All - a place where complete honesty and vulnerability are safe and comforting. When we pray, we make a difference. God does hear, and it does matter. Sometimes God has to do other things than

One of the keys to following God is paying attention. Pay attention to the people you encounter, what they say and do, and what you see in their eyes and hearts. Listen to what the Holy Spirit tells you about them. They are probably on your path for a reason… do you rush by as you “fulfill your purposes,” or do pay attention like Jesus did. Jesus saw inside people not just because He was the son of God, but also by the power of the Holy Spirit. You have the same power within

I’m not sure who first started this call and response - but I have learned that it is deeply true. It’s hard to believe that tough circumstances or tragedies can occur as part of His goodness - but they can. So whatever you’re going through, even if the devil has stolen, killed or destroyed something in your life, God is still good and He will show you His faithfulness in good time. Joseph was sold into slavery and his father was told he’d died - but God was good. David was r