Author: Dawn

The love of Jesus will never fail you. Thank you for visiting my blog.

A Thanksgiving Prayer 🙏🏾 🙏🏿🙏🙏🏽🙏🏻

Dear Father,

As we enter another Thanksgiving season we want to say thank you so much for all You have done for us over the last year. Many things have happened in our lives and in the world around us but You have been faithful through it all. There have been countless joys and accomplishments that we have experienced. You have given us good health and sustained many of us through ongoing illnesses. You have answered so many of our prayers and taught us to persevere in faith, and to trust You with the prayers that are still unanswered. Some have endured tragedies, deaths of loved ones, frustrating setbacks, relationship issues and many other hardships along the way.

This time of year is difficult for those who are hurting especially those who have lost someone they love. But even in the midst of these things Your steadfast love has endured. We are learning to trust You with the things we do not understand. Please help us to trust You more.

For those who are hurting, we ask You to bring them Your peace and comfort. We are asking You to give them hope and shine Your Light into the darkness they feel. We pray for those living on the streets that you would send them the help they need. Please be their shelter no matter where they lay their heads each night. Father, when we see a homeless person on the street we don’t know how they got there. However we do know that one day some time ago, a mother somewhere gave birth to them, just like the rest of us, and their mother or father may very well be hurting today wondering if their child is safe. Please comfort those parents.

Thank you for being sure in a world that is unsure. Thank you for being our Peace in the middle of the chaos. We are thankful that we can rely completely on You to supply our every need and protect us and our families as we face each new day. You have a good plan for each of our lives and Your word declares that shouts of victory come from the homes of the righteous (Psalm 118:15)! We are thankful for that victory that we have in You and thankful for the many blessings that You will give us in the coming year.

Jesus we celebrate You and rejoice that we can walk with You through this life. Thank you for family and friends and even for the complete stranger that may walk past us on the street that cares enough to offer us a smile because even a simple smile can make a difference.

Please keep us safe, healthy, content and of strong, sound mind as we continue to live for You. Please give us wisdom to see beyond the surface of this life and to instead see things through Your eyes. Thank you for allowing us to see another Thanksgiving and thank you for being You.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Psalm 107:8-9, “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!! Thank you for praying this prayer with me. May the love of God satisfy your soul and fill your life with good things.

New Day! New Hope!

Hebrews 6:19(NKJV), This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, 

I was in the restroom getting ready for work one morning when I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. It appeared the shower curtain was moving around. My first instinct was it must be a small lizard, since here in Florida it’s not uncommon for those to sneak inside the house from time to time. But upon further observation, I realized that the movement I was seeing was not the curtain itself,  but instead it was the shadows of the tree branches and leaves outside my window dancing upon the shower curtain. I immediately felt relief to know I didn’t have to try to capture a little lizard, but I also felt joy as I watched the shadows of those tree branches and leaves moving to the rhythm of the wind. It was the dawning of a new day.

I know that God does not view time the same way we do, because He is infinite and not confined to the same boundaries that we are. We may at times think He’s late when in actuality He is not. I am surely glad that for us the days are divided into twenty-four hour increments. God knew that we as humans were not capable of handling much more than that. Thankfully with each new day He sends, we have new hope and we have the opportunity to look forward to the fresh new blessings the day will bring.

I felt refreshed and hopeful to see the beautiful display of sunshine and dancing shadows that morning. To me it was a picture of God’s faithfulness to give us little daily reminders of His love. Sometimes it’s the smallest things in life that can have the biggest impacts. He’s so great at filling our hearts with joy when we least expect it. I like to think those trees were rejoicing in the light of His glory. I hope and pray that you too will rejoice in the Lord and find His love in even the smallest ways as you go throughout your day. I’m believing that you will find joy in the midst of whatever it is you may be going through, and that God will give you the strength to have hope no matter what. Thankfully He assures us in His Word that hope never disappoints (Romans 5:5), so therefore we can confidently place our hopes in His hands and rest in His faithfulness.

Father,

Thank you for the joy you give and the simple reminders of your love. Thank you for always being present wherever we are, whatever we are doing. Thank you for allowing us to be able to hope for good things in your Name and trust You for the best outcome.

In the name of Jesus amen.

Some thoughts on Hope, please listen…

Life is Short, Make Everyday Count

James 4:14(NIV),”Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

Just about a week ago, I was telling a coworker about the influx of car accidents I’ve been seeing over the last couple of weeks while driving to work. Here in South Florida where I currently reside, the area is heavily populated and therefore there is an abundance of traffic on the road. I guess the allure of beaches and palm trees, combined with the warm tropical climate and endless summers, is a welcome oasis for those looking to relocate. Since relocating here from Michigan several years ago, I myself have definitely enjoyed the beautiful weather and I truly don’t miss Michigan’s snowy winters even though I do miss many of my friends and the peaceful parks that were some of my favorite places to commune with the Lord.

Well while driving to work earlier this week, I unfortunately encountered yet another accident but this time it involved one car and a bicyclist. I was passing by on the opposite side of the street but even from a distance I could see the up and down motion of the woman’s chest who was laying on the ground as she struggled to breathe. I figured her shortness of breath was a combination of injury and fear. The lady who appeared to own the car that was involved, was anxiously pacing back and forth as she talked on her cell phone. There was a man standing over the bicyclist speaking to her, and I could see that although she was very short of breath, she was speaking back to him. As car after car made it’s way around her, I watched as long as I could until my light turned green and the traffic in front of me began to move. As I moved, I could faintly hear the sound of a siren in the distant. I felt scared for her but prayed that God would bring healing to her body and that she would be alright.

As I got up on interstate 95 to continue my drive to work, this incident reminded me just how quickly life can change or even worse, end. As I saw that lady laying on the ground and gasping for breath, I was also reminded how important it is to make everyday count. I’m sure she never imagined that when she left her home that morning she would get hit by a car, but she did. We can be here one day but gone the next. It’s God that watches over us each day, offering His protection as we go about our daily tasks.

photography of people wearing blue shirt
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When we realize how brief our stay here on Earth really is, it makes us want to live life in the best way possible instead of just going through the motions. Living our best life isn’t only about acquiring more material things or accolades for ourselves, but it’s mostly about asking God to use us to be a blessing to others. It’s about the opportunities He allows us to have where we can pursue our purpose and use our gifts to help people and help make the world a better place. There is something special that God planted inside of each one of us. No one can be you or me, except you or me, so let’s make the most of the time God has given us to share His love with those around us.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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When Life Takes You the Other Way

Ruth 1:14 (NIV) “….Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.”
I really enjoy reading the book of Ruth. Although it is one of the shorter books in the Bible, its brief storyline is overflowing with moments of determination, perseverance, triumph, hope and love. As you read the book of Ruth, you are reminded of God’s sovereignty and can clearly see His Spirit at work. His grace is never-ending, as it lovingly weaves it’s way through the lives of the men and women who are a part of this fascinating story.
Ruth was no doubt a phenomenal woman who inspired us with her loyalty to her mother in law Naomi. She was faithful to her, even though she had to temporarily sacrifice her own desires. Through a series of events and acts of obedience she ended up meeting and marrying the man of her dreams, Boaz. We are all encouraged by her unique story and can learn so much from the example she set.
 However, there is another lady in the book of Ruth whom we don’t know much about, that is Orpah, Naomi’s other daughter-in-law. After Naomi’s two sons passed away, these two ladies, Oprah and Ruth, were left with their mother in law Naomi. Naomi admonished both women to return to their homes but Ruth chose to stay with Naomi, while Orpah chose to leave. When comparing Orpah to Ruth, I have often heard people refer to Orpah as, “the one who left”. Have you ever wondered what may have been going on in Orpah’s heart when she took her mother in laws advice to return home?
Many times when people make decisions we may not know the reasons they decide to do what they do. Their actions can sometimes appear unreasonable when there are no details to accompany what we see them doing. The truth is that we don’t always know exactly how God may be working in the lives of others, even those closest to us. I think that is definitely the case with Orpah. We don’t have details and never got the chance to hear what she was feeling at the time. But I have to applaud her for being bold enough to “go the other way” and do what she felt was best for her.

We will all come across times in life where we maybe called to go in a different direction from where we thought we would go. We have to trust God’s sovereignty and believe He’s directing our steps. People may or may not understand you, but as long as you’re following God’s will for your life that is what is most important.

The next time you find yourself faced with a tough decision and you are being led to “go the other way”, remember Orpah and don’t hesitate to do what’s best for you. When we make bold moves on behalf of our Savior Jesus Christ, even though it may not be easy, we will find opportunities for personal and spiritual growth as we step out on faith.

Fear of the unknown may try to hinder our progress, but we can rest knowing that when we put God first He will always work out what is best for us.

 Father,

Help us not to be afraid to follow the path you have laid out before us, even when we don’t understand every detail. 

In the name of Jesus. Amen. 

Choose What is Better

Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.

Time tells us that Mary and Martha lived years and years before us, but our life experiences show us that they were not much different from us and were met with some of the same type of setbacks we face today. We live in a society that is unrelenting, constantly pulling our attention away from what matters most.  Countless chores and endless tasks hover over us, draining our energy and pressuring us to get things done NOW. We must be diligent to ask ourselves the question, “Am I choosing the good portion?”

I’m sure most of us can certainly identify with Martha. We have found ourselves in that place where our hands and our minds are so full that bringing ourselves to a place where we can settle down and focus our attention on what matters most can seem hard to achieve. Sometimes in our hearts we know that what we are spending our time doing is not really the most beneficial thing to do, but we do it anyway for a variety of reasons. Martha was a person, just like the rest of us, who wanted so badly to make a good impression by serving and making sure everything was in perfect order. Although at a glance it might appear that her intentions were good, Jesus who can see pass the surface and straight to the heart, knew that Martha was not making the right choice. He must have also known that her motives were not one hundred percent pure. Perhaps in those moments, her eagerness to be impressive outweighed a genuine interest to show love to her guest. As Jesus examined the hearts of these two women, He knew that Mary had indeed chosen what was better.

red rose
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Mary seized a golden opportunity to reach out for what she knew would benefit her the most, not only in that moment, but also in the long run. It can be easy to choose things that seem to benefit us now, but it pays off to go the extra mile and consider what type of consequences our “now decisions” will have in the future. Temporary pleasures or easy to achieve quick fixes can often cause long term pain if we are not careful. Just because something feels good does not mean it is good for us.

We owe it to ourselves to examine anyone and anything that competes for our attention. We only get one life to live and we have to do our best to make the most of it. When we look at Mary and how she handled herself in this situation, it serves as a powerful reminder to us to make choices that will enhance our lives. Mary chose to sit at the Master’s feet, and in doing so she made a simple yet very wise decision. As she sat and talked with Jesus, I can only imagine the blessings that were being imparted to her.

When we sit at His feet, we can come as we are. There is no right or wrong way to come to the Lord, because He will always accept us as we are and understand us even when we struggle to understand ourselves. As you live each day, ask God for wisdom to help you to choose what is better, because you are always worthy of His very best. Remember this, no matter how things may look in your life at the present moment, His desire is for you to walk in victory and ultimately have what is good and meaningful so….

Choose What is Better.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Stay Anchored in His Perfect Peace!

Isaiah 26:3 (NLT), You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Where would we be if God did not offer us His perfect peace to keep us through the many unexpected ups and downs of life? Peace does not represent the absence of conflict, tragedy or the often unfair and tiring struggles that disrupt our days, because these storms are a part of life. However, what it does represent is the constant reality of God’s presence in the midst of the stormy weather as we navigate our way through the high wind and heavy rain. God’s peace, when invited in, will even triumph over situations that seem to have no answers and are completely out of our control.

When we fix our thoughts on the majesty of Jesus Christ, it keeps things in perspective and saves us from drowning in the misery that comes from fear and uncertainty. His peace strengthens us to move forward one day at a time while staying anchored in hope and anticipation. When God’s peace and joy reside in our hearts, we are able to keep trusting Him that He will work out what is best for us. The world around us is in desperate need of peace, but not just any peace, God’s peace. As children who have been adopted into God’s family through the blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:14-18), we have the very unique privilege of choosing to receive that peace and walk in it daily while sharing it with those around us. His peace surpasses all human understanding (Philippians 4:7). It’s a sweet mystery that brings comfort to our anxious hearts in the midst of the storm.

Peace Be Still (Mark 4:39).

Those are the words Jesus spoke as the storm was raging out at sea. The disciples were amazed at the stillness that followed the Master’s command. As He spoke everything came into perfect order. God wants to amaze you the same way. No matter what storms may be raging in your life, invite the peace of God in and find rest for your soul as He commands those storms to Be Still. Remember, everything is subject to the sound of His mighty voice. When He speaks, the storms of this life will listen and obey.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.