Yesterday, I shared how part of how I fight my battles is related to who I am in God.

That has been one of the biggest changes I have ever experienced in my life.

Resting in the knowledge that:

✔️You love me as I am
✔️I am never alone
✔️I am seen, 24/7
✔️I am heard, for my voice matters to You
✔️I am known, inside & out
✔️I am wanted, chosen
✔️I am designed on purpose, and made for a purpose
✔️I am Your child, grafted onto Your family, and with my adoption comes all the privileges that being Yours implies.
✔️I am a citizen of heaven

There are sooooo many who you are now in Christ statements to be discovered, celebrated and implemented in the Word. If you struggle with seeing yourself the way God does, make the time to put together a list to be read to yourself every day.

WORD:

“But you are God’s chosen treasure—priests who are kings,a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience His marvelous light, and now He claims you as His very own. He did this so that you would broadcast His glorious wonders  throughout the world.” 1 Peter 2:9 TPT

WORSHIP:

“Forever Amen” by Steffany Gretzinger
https://youtu.be/W8f0YpYR0Ho

#sharingHope

“This is how I fight my battles…It may look like I’m surrounded but I’m surrounded by You.”🎵

I have encountered more battles in 2020 than I ever expected. Maybe you can relate, friend.

And I have learned that the quickest way to not be overwhelmed is to battle from two positions – on my knees, and from the truth.

1. ON MY KNEES – prayer. To bring everything to God in prayer, the big and the small, but most especially in a situation where a battle may be brewing. (And I can do so figuratively when I pray on the go throughout my days, for on my knees is also a position of HUMILITY, where I acknowledge my great need for God.

2. FROM THE TRUTH – the Word. To speak out who You are – Lord Most High, King of Kings, Alpha & Omega, my Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit – and declare Your Words as powerful Truth. You go to battle for Your children, in the spiritual realm, here on earth, as Jesus & Holy Spirit intercede for us and equip us.  The other part of this position is WHO WE ARE IN YOU. As Your child, I am an heir to Your Kingdom, and am positioned as such. Knowing what the Word says about You, and who I am in You, is crucial when it comes to battling.

I find I am best able to tap into these positions after I have come to You in worship. Somehow Your Word in song clears the congestion in my mind and opens up the heavens as it shifts the atmosphere around and within me.

WORD:

🎯”For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”
(Deut. 20:4 NIV)

🎯”Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” (Eph. 6:10 ESV)

🎯”But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (1 Cor. 15:57 NIV)

WORSHIP:

🎶My WEAPON by Natalie Grant  https://youtu.be/4BpirBRWGUs

#sharingHope

This morning. Monday. When my new phone alarm didn’t go off, this becomes how I have my coffee… on the go instead of savoring at home. But I take comfort in the following verse and the truth it contains…God was not surprised, and Jesus is praying for my day even as it only starts to unfurl. For I don’t want to just survive this day, but be a blessing and help to those I encounter. So grateful to follow One who gets me!

WORSHIP:

“Kingdom Come” by Elevation Worship https://youtu.be/Xn2amhOLJak

WORD:  

“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)

#sharingHope

I love mountains, and how every time I see one, this verse below echoes within. My first visit to BC as a young teen introduced me to views such as this one, and I have been a fan ever since of His handiwork!

WORD:
“I look up to the mountains and hills, longing for God’s help. But then I realize that our true help and protection come only from the Lord, our Creator who made the heavens and the earth.” (Psalm 121:1 TPT)

WORSHIP:
“I Lift My Eyes Up” by @briandoerksen

(Thanks @unsplash for this beautiful reminder!)

#sharingHope #Sonday

As a little girl, I used to go for ‘walks and talks’ with my Dad. I apparently did most of the talking, but Dad always answered my questions. I felt safe with him, despite my fear that he too might leave us, as my birth father did.

As a not so young girl now, I find it hard some days to feel connected with my Father. Too much hiding due to hurts, too much shame over my sins, too many walls to cover my unwell places – any one of these can make it hard for me to reach out, as can the fear that maybe, just maybe, He won’t want me anymore.

Recently God reminded me that as His child, I can come just as I did literally so many years ago, slip my hand into His, and go for a walk and talk at any time.

His love welcomes me as I am in the moment, and He is always waiting for me to come and be with Him.  Always. His love made the way, and His grace keeps it open, 24/7.

He longs to speak wisdom and purpose into my life while we converse, to heal my hurts, set me free & restore my soul as my safe place to come and be.

WORD:

“You are my hiding place. You will protect me from trouble. You will surround me with songs of deliverance.’ (Psalm 32:7)

WORSHIP:

“Run To The Father” by Cody Carnes
https://youtu.be/HTHS4W1bPj8

🎶My heart has been in Your sights long before my first breath. Running into Your arms is running to life from death. And I feel this rush deep in my chest, Your mercy is calling out. Just as I am You pull me in and I know I need You now.

I run to the Father, I fall into grace.  I’m done with the hiding, no reason to wait. My heart needs a surgeon, my soul needs a friend. So I’ll run to the Father again and again and again and again.”🎶

#sharingHope

It has been several months now that I have been praying for breakthrough in a few key areas – mental wellness, physical wellness, a key relationship and an increase of purpose filled work.

Covid-19 shook my life up considerably, but God has taken me on a journey within which could not have happened otherwise.

What the enemy intended for destruction, God has turned into blessing, for my good.

🌼 I now capture every thought, am honest with myself when I am weary, and acknowledge what I am really feeling.

🌼 God has been helping me overcome physical pain, in part by eating better, walking more and getting enough sleep & downtime.

🌼 Hubby & I are taking ‘The Marriage Course’ by @alphacourse and it has transformed how we communicate for the better.

🌼 I may have more work this fall between my day & side job. God has blessed others I work with to go back to school or find mat leave coverage, making room for me to work more. I still don’t know what this will look like yet, but knowing this is coming has been a breath of hope filled air I needed.

Friend, when we feel pressed down, He presses in all the closer to lift the weight, battle the enemy and release blessing. Keep holding on to Him during the storm you are in. Let Him direct you to safe ground in His Presence. Watch for our Way Maker to guide you through to the victory He had for you!

WORD: (2 Cor 4:8-9 MSG)
“We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down but we haven’t broken.”

WORSHIP: “SEE A VICTORY” @elevationworship

🎶”The weapon may be formed but it won’t prosper. When the darkness falls it won’t prevail. Cause the God I serve knows only how to triumph, my God will never fail. My God will never fail!

🎶(Chorus) I’m gonna see a victory, I’m gonna see a victory for the battle belongs to You Lord. I’m gonna see a victory, I’m gonna see a victory for the battle belongs to You Lord.

🎶You take what the enemy meant for evil and You turn it for good, You turn it for good.”

#sharingHope

PS. Today’s photo is also a free to download phonesaver for you too, to remind us both that we WILL see a victory for the battle for God’s kids is His to fight!

🎶“You are no stranger to the scar, so You can have my wounded heart.You weren’t protected from the pain, so You can hold me when I break.”

When I first heard these words in this new song by Natalie Grant, a dam of tears broke through and a new peace began to replace them as I continued to listen…

🎶“You seek me out and find me here with love that knows the taste of tears. So I will trust in who You are – You’re no stranger, no stranger to the scar.”

Jesus knows pain – emotional, spiritual, mental,  physical- first hand.  He was mocked for His background, ridiculed for His views, adored for a season then cast aside by the masses, not rejected by the very people He came to save but flogged/whipped, chained, dragged about on public display designed to humiliate Him. He was nailed to a cross, jeered and spit at, receiving insults as He carried the weight of other people’s sin’s, having been betrayed by one of His tribe. When He rose again, He bore the scars – on His hands, on His feet, on His side – from the crucifixion…

All so that you and I, friend? We could know that Jesus was no stranger to the type of scars we too carry with us. Jesus gets where we are coming from, for He too has been there. He can no only relate, He can get us through to the other side – healed, whole.

🎶“You are no stranger to the storm, You have calmed these winds before. Your voice still whispers, “Peace, be still” and the waves still do Your will.

🎶So I won’t fear the rising tide, the tempest roars and You arrive. I’ll walk on these angry seas, for You’re no stranger, Lord, to me.”

Jesus experienced peace in the storm, and passed on that peace to those trembling with fear in the very same boat as Him with 3 words containing the same power today as they always have, but especially in the storm.

We can be reassured He will come, He knows how we are feeling, and He will come to our aid in each and every way we need Him to as we trust and follow Him.

For He is no stranger to any of what we are going through, friend.

KEY VERSES:

Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:34-41, Luke 8:22-25

WORSHIP:

“No Stranger” by @nataliegrant
https://youtu.be/CfAbaWXse5k

#sharingHope

“I was stumbling in the darkness, couldn’t see my hand in front of me. I was sending up an sos, when all was lost You came running.”

A few times in my life, things have been so dark about me that I have almost lost sight of the light. Yet You refused to let go of me, and helped me see each situation more clearly as You entered into it.

“Nowhere to run, no place to hide – You sent the shadow scattering. When through the cloud a piercing light, and then I saw You”

When You enter, shadows disperse at Your very presence. Often, You don’t have to say a word, just shine…

“Shine, shine, shine like the sun.You’re waking hearts to life and You’ve only begun.
Every fear, every doubt disappears when You shine on us. (We wanna see You)
Shine, shine, shine like the stars. You are the first love to open my heart. Every hope, every dream comes alive when You shine on us….”

What has been amazing to me is not only did God meet me in those shadow, pain and broken filled situations, He scattered lies, spoke truth, sent the enemy packing and spent precious moments binding up my wounds as He shared Hope and lit the way forward.

Having a rough day, experiencing a tough season, walking in a gruff and shadow tinged situation?

1. Invite Him to shine. Ask Him to shine even brighter, and then shine again until you see Him at work, sense Him with you, and Holy Spirit fills you with truth & Light again.
2. Open the Word. Ask Him to make the Word come alive and shine the way forward for you.
3. Put on some worship music that proclaims who He is, and clears the atmosphere about you.
4. Repeat as necessary. There may be tears, uprooted fears, cheers, years worth of baggage as you journey through, but remember that it only takes one spark to ignite a fire, that darkness becomes more apparent when Light shines into it, & that the God of all creation, the Light of the world, will never stop shining on His beloved children, no matter what!

KEY VERSE

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5)

WORSHIP SONG

“Shine On Us” @bethelmusic
@williammatthewsx
https://youtu.be/lmt4KVS-_Bo

#sharingHope #shine #hopefortheharddays

May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!

Romans 15:13 MSG

I know I have been a bit quieter here on my blog this past few months.

I can’t apologize for it, though.

God is doing something new within me, as He is in you, friend.

I have come to realize a lot about myself, some things I didn’t know, forgot I knew, or God knew I needed to be made aware of.

One of which is that He loves me just as I am, right here and now, in this moment. And the next. And the next….

But He also wants me to be the best me I can be, so when I bring Him the things I no longer want to carry, or a memory I no longer want to watch in reruns, or when I am simply having a hard day?

He meets me, each and every time. He touches me, healing me, rekindling Hope and freeing me where I needed to be set free.

I have a new hope!

One of the ways He has been doing so is through a different type of writing.

For over the past year, I have been sending out a hope full text to 50 women, to encourage them each Monday morning.

Seven weeks ago now, I felt led to ask if any of them would prefer an email, where I am able to add in the full bible verses, and which they could read whenever they went in to their inbox.

20 people replied yes, and then another 10 joined the fun. A few men included.

Today was my 7th week of this new way of writing, and I am so thankful that I followed His prompting to do so. This different format has been blessing me as I prepare for them each week.

That being said, I will be going back to more of a devotional format here on the blog starting tomorrow. I have missed that style of writing more than I realized, and hope you will be blessed as I do so!

Here is a sample of my new Hope Jot weekly email, usually sent around 9am EDT each Monday morning. If you too could use a jolt of Hope as you start your week, you are welcome to sign up to start receiving them!

https://mailchi.mp/8493ddccd090/hope-jot-aug-17-2020

As we navigate the unexpected days, I have been learning to expect God to show up with a blessing, sometimes small, often large, over the course of the day. Not with a “stuff” or money focus, but keeping my eyes open to a way He showed me kindness.

Yesterday I ended up in central air on one of the hottest days this summer, and due to a schedule mix up, got a last minute appointment I needed when my work shift ran longer than expected. I also got to hear how He perfectly timed providing a miracle for a friend who desperately needed some good news. Those blessings combined to refresh me, just like a good splash in a cool pool!

Hold on, friend. If you are in the beginning or middle of a hard season, remember this is not how your story ends. Cling to Hope, for He will never let you go, nor leave you to face things on your own. You ARE going to be okay, even if you can’t see it yet.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

#sharingHope #hopefortheharddays