encouragement – Drawing Closer to Christ

Encouragement From Fellow Bloggers

1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

The past couple of weeks were pretty busy for me because it is our busy season at work, but it was a blessing to be encouraged by many of the posts I read. So, I’m sharing a few. I believe they will encourage you too. Have a wonderful week and enjoy reading these posts! 🤗

Jennifer posted Parkinson’s Too Hard for God to Heal? Nope! This reminds us that God performs miracles.

Get Moving by Desiree, is inspiring because she refuses to let her physical limitations hold her back.

Unlocking the Beauty of Aging: Embrace the Journey of Growing Older With Joy and Positivity by Divya. This encourages us to grow old gracefully.

In Trusting God With the Unexpected by Bridget, she shares a story that inspires us to remember that God is in control at all times.

In The Book of Numbers – The Weight of our Words Manu shares a story that reminds us of the importance of integrity and staying true to what we say.

Matt is sharing his heart to help others who have experienced trauma in this short video A Video About Why I Wrote Jesus Understands Trauma. And his new book, Jesus Understands Trauma, can be purchased HERE.

Happy Mother’s Day!

I wanted to wish a Happy Mother’s Day, to everyone who is celebrating it today. All women are special people, who do so much in our world, whether they have children or not. Women deserve praise!

The role of mother, brings extra special responsibilities to a woman and is no easy task. However, I am learning that God’s grace is always sufficient for whatever we need. He knows what we need and how to provide it to us.

I am thankful for my mom, Belle, and all I was able to learn from her. I miss her a lot. I especially miss her love in my life, her godly wisdom, and her peaceful spirit.

Proverbs 31:26 says, “When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.”

Me and Mom, July 2021 at my Aunt Ruby’s 80th birthday party

I am also thankful to be a mom to my daughter, Shalenah, who never ceases to amaze me. She is a kind and caring young women who is smart, brave, and supportive. She had been living in Spain for three years, but came back here last summer and helped me out with her grandma. I am thankful to her for doing that.

**Me and my daughter, May 2023, at my commencement from graduate school, Masters in Business Administration**

I hope and pray you enjoy your day, thank you for reading and continuing to support my blog.

Happy Mother’s Day! 💐

Fellowship with God in Prayer

Below are a few lines from the familiar hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”…

O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer.

I have to remind myself often to carry everything to God in prayer. God loves to spend time talking to us, not only about the difficulties of life but also the pleasures of life. He enjoys hearing our thanksgiving, for the many blessings He has given to us. He enjoys hearing about the things that have made us happy as well as the things that have made us sad. He not only wants to cry with us, but He also wants to laugh with us.

**Photo by: Pavel Danilyuk of Belarus 🇧🇾**

God is always willing to work on our behalf; however, we must remember to invite Him into our lives and spend time fellowshipping with Him in prayer.

Don’t hesitate to make your requests known to God, no matter how big or small. He promises to give us His peace in exchange for our worries. So push pass the temptation to be self sufficient and let Him carry your burdens. Push pass discontentment and choose to be thankful. Push pass pride and embarrassment and share your deepest needs with Him, today.

Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Always Be Prepared

1 Peter 3:15 NIV, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”

“Always be prepared.” We know people are always watching our actions, and the way we live our lives. The way we conduct ourselves, is a testimony of our reverence to the Lord. We never know when we will have the opportunity to verbally share with someone, who Christ is to us. The love and light of Jesus, shining through us, is a sweet fragrance to those around us. The hope we have in Jesus, is meant to be shared with others, in a gentle and respectful way. As we go about our daily routines, may God prepare our hearts and give us an awareness of those around us, and grant us opportunities to share the reason for the hope we have in Jesus.

Exalt His Name!

Psalm 34:1-3 NLT, ”1 I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. 2 I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. 3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.”

As I read these verses, it brings peace to my heart by placing my focus on the One who holds my heart and my life safely in His hands, and encouraging me to lift my voice in praise to Him. Truthfully, there are days when life happens and praise may not be our first response. But, the Lord cares about even the tiniest details of our lives. So we can bring those tiny details to Him in prayer. Then, we can turn those prayers into praise as we wait expectantly on Him to answer.

When the unknowns of life come our way, we can always rest knowing that He is watching over us, will guide us and will keep us safe. These are only a few of the countless reasons we have to praise the Lord, at all times.

As we reflect on His faithful love, may we boast about His goodness and constantly speak His praises. Let us exalt His name together!

Sometimes You Must Detour

While walking the other day, I found myself a little annoyed that my normal path had been blocked off by some construction work that was in progress. So I proceeded to take an alternate path. The alternate path, unlike my normal path, was sunny and hot. Plus it was not as pretty as my normal path. On my normal path, I enjoyed flowers and trees, as well as plenty of shade.

However, as I proceeded down the alternate path, God spoke to my heart and reminded me, that as we walk with Him, He will often call us out of the comfort of the beautiful scenery we have come to know. Instead, He will allow us to journey into places that are less comfortable. He does this for various reasons, but some that He brought to my mind are 1) we learn to trust Him as we venture into the unknown 2) we learn to persevere, even when our circumstances are not easy 3) we learn the importance of obedience 4) we grow in our faith as we see God’s provision 5) we learn to see beauty in the things and people that the world does not see as beautiful 6) he is protecting us from evil 7) we learn to walk in love.

If you think about it, shade feels nice and there are times we need it, but our bodies also need sunshine. There are reasons God allows the Earth to experience different seasons, and it works the same for us. He will allow us to go through various seasons, but through it all, when we seek to do His will, His purposes are being accomplished.

So when the Lord calls you out of the comfortable shade, don’t be afraid to take the detour, even if it’s hot, and not as attractive. There are always blessings waiting down the path of obedience, and the path of obedience, is often an alternate path that He will require us to take.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT, “5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

Happy Easter!

Wishing you a Happy Easter! Jesus Christ has overcome the grave. Our Savior is risen!

Matthew 28:6, “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.”

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