encouragement – Page 48 – Drawing Closer to Christ

Journey To Virginia

Well, I made it safely back to Virginia. I arrived Monday afternoon. It was a nice trip across the miles (945 miles and 14 hours – but of course it took longer with the bathroom and food breaks lol). There was no rain, the weather was great. I kept my word to my family and coworkers in Florida that I wouldn’t drive at night, so I took my time and stopped when it got dark. It feels great to see my mom’s smiling face and to be close to family again.

Upon leaving Florida, I passed through Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina before making it to Virginia. Thank you all for your support and prayers. Thanks for leaving encouraging comments to check on me and see how the move and my travels were going. Your love and kindness was a comfort and helped me to stay motivated through this process.

**Taken at South Carolina welcome center. SC is where my parents were both born and raised. I have a lot of family in this state.**

When I left Florida, it was about 90 degrees, now it’s about 60 degrees in Virginia. Quite the change in temperature. Although part of me will miss the “Miami Heat” another part of me is glad for the change. I believe the cooler weather will be refreshing and help clear my sinuses. The hot, muggy, tropical temps in Miami kept my allergies in an uproar.

Originally I was scheduled to stop in North Carolina to see my Uncle Wilt (my Dad’s brother), before returning to Virginia. He had been ill and in the hospital for over a month. I spoke to my cousin LaTasha, (his daughter), on last Thursday morning to say I would be there on Monday. By Thursday afternoon things quickly changed and he passed away. So my mom and I will go to North Carolina on this weekend for the funeral. I have many fond memories of my Uncle Wilt. He came to Virginia from North Carolina to visit us every year when I was growing up.

Here is a picture of my Dad and his brothers. My Dad is on the right end (with the glasses), and Uncle Wilt is the first one on the left end. I’m thankful LaTasha called me a few weeks ago so I could FaceTime him and talk to him. Little did I know he’d be gone before I could make it to North Carolina to visit him. But God knew.

Now that I’m back in Virginia, my state of birth, I feel like there is a lot to do. Especially since I have to find employment. But I will keep praying, and keep trusting God. If I focus on my to-do-list it gets overwhelming. However if I focus on Jesus, I feel at peace. I know He has an impeccable track record when it comes to moving me around, and getting me settled.

I’m thankful for what my little sister Deandra wrote in her post this week called, “God of TODAY”. She reminded us that, God is a faithful God. So we don’t have to worry about tomorrow…we can just enjoy today.

Matthew 6:34 NIV, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

I’ll keep you posted on this continued journey. Thanks again for your continued prayers.

P. S.

While I was traveling through Jacksonville, Florida I was behind this truck. God used the dirt on the truck for good!

**Jesus Saves!** **My favorite verse – John 3:16**

Persecuted For Doing Right

Matthew 5:10 NLT, “God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”

When you are going through persecution you may not always “feel” blessed but God says you are. Standing firm in your faith in Jesus Christ, even when it’s not popular, shows your loyalty to the Savior. In order to go deeper with the Lord and know Him more, we must be willing to make Him a priority, and choose Him regardless of what other people are doing and saying. This often means going in a different direction from where the world is going. It can also mean detouring from our own plans to follow His.

One of the blessings I have personally experienced from following Jesus Christ when it’s not popular, is a deep peace and contentment that comes from knowing I am in His perfect will. It brings satisfaction to know that I am doing what is best for my life because I am obeying God’s Word.

We don’t have to compete with others or work to gain their acceptance and approval, because in Christ we already have been accepted and approved of. He also has a unique plan for our lives, and always has our best interest at heart.

Even though things are not always within our understanding right away, we can completely trust God to work out every single detail and bring the needed blessings into our lives. He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

We’re living in a time where it’s becoming more and more unpopular to follow Jesus, and easier and easier to not follow Jesus. Therefore we have to make a decision and stand firm. When we are persecuted for Him, we are blessed and great is our reward in heaven. However even now on Earth, God will show us His goodness and protect us when we choose Him above all else.

Psalm 27:13 NIV, ”I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”

Remain confident in your faith in Jesus, for in Him you are blessed. The persecution you are enduring, may very well be God’s training ground to shape you and mold you so that He can promote you to the next level. Keep your eyes on Him, and stand firm.

1 Grateful Person Tag

The 1 Grateful Person Tag is based on Luke 19 and the account of Jesus with the 1 out ten lepers he healed who came back to thank him. Let us aspire to be like the 1 who thanked Jesus and not the 9 who did not.

Thanks big brother Matt @ Jesusluvsall for creating this tag and for tagging me. May we all aspire to be like “the 1”, and never fail to give thanks to our Lord for all that He has done.

1- Share what you are grateful to Jesus for.
2-Share a passage from the bible about gratitude that means something to you.
3- Tag whoever you wish to.
4- Please share a link to my original post. 1 Grateful Person
5- Use any picture in your post that expresses gratitude 6. Share the intro

I am grateful that Jesus is my Rock. He is a firm foundation that I can depend on. Because of Him, I am secure. I can rest in His faithful, unchanging nature.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

I’m Tagging..

Our Refuge and Strength

Psalm 46:1 NIV, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

So often the demands of life can leave us feeling exhausted and worn out in so many ways. With all that’s going on, it’s important to take time out daily to connect with our Heavenly Father. I love that He’s always there with us, no matter where we are. Knowing that He is our refuge and strength, who is ever present, brings hope and peace that is unexplainable. Being able to rely fully on Him in any and every situation brings us comfort. He is our Strength. When we are weak, He is strong.

The other day, I read this post by Chrissy @ Riverside Peace entitled Strength. It is a timely reminder that the Lord cares for us and gives us strength to keep going. (Thank you Chrissy for encouraging us.)

When I think of the blood that Jesus shed so that we could have the strength to persevere, my heart rejoices! I pray that you too would be strengthened, as the Lord’s joy and truth fill your heart.

The Barnabas Award

Thank you Beverley @ Becoming the Oil and the Wine for nominating me for The Barnabus Award. I am grateful to receive this. 🤗

I enjoy Beverley’s post because as I read them, I can sense the intimacy she has with Christ Jesus. The passion she has for sharing His Word with others is evident. Through her writings, she teaches the truth of the Bible and encourages her readers to live for the Lord wholeheartedly. Read more about Beverley and the purpose of her blog on her About Me Page. ❤️

Purpose of the Barnabas Award 🥇
You have been chosen for this recognition because of the encouragement and inspiration you bring to your readers.

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

The way the Barnabas Award Works:
1)Thank the person who nominated you and share their blog.
2)Think of five bloggers that encourage and inspire you and nominate them.
3)List 5 things about yourself
4)Lastly, ask your nominees 5 questions. Why 5? Because it is the number that signifies grace.

5 Things About Me

1. I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was 9 years old at a Wednesday night prayer meeting.

2. Daniel is one of my favorite people in the Bible because He resolved to stay committed to the Lord no matter what.

3. One of my favorite memories is my 24 hour road trip with my daughter from Michigan to Florida to drive her to school.

4. My favorite kind of pie is Sweet Potato.

5. I have a certificate in Biblical Counseling and have considered going back to school for counseling.

Beverley’s Questions To Me:

1) Who in your life is your biggest encourager?

Throughout my life my mom has encouraged me the most.

2) When you are down, what encourages you to get back up and keep pressing on?

The truth and inspiration in God’s Word encourages me to keep going.

3) Do you like to encourage others and why?

I love to encourage others. I think it’s something God planted in me to want to do. It brings me joy to be able to help others.

4) What motivates you to get up each morning and what is the first thing that you do in the morning?

Each new day is a blessing from God. When I don’t feel like getting started, remembering that He is with me motivates me to get up. He is aware of everything concerning me and will supply my needs, so I don’t have to worry or be discouraged.

5) Who was your greatest encourager when you first accepted Christ?

I believe it was my mom and all my Sunday school teachers from when I was a child.

To My 5 Nominees: Thank you for the inspiration you bring to me and the others in our blogging community. I’m looking forward to reading your answers if you choose to participate. ❤️

Carly from Believing Beautiful

Queen Karen from Dance In My Shoes

Vivian from God’s Whispers of Truth

Dante from Putting God First Ministry

Thirsty from Thirsty17

My 5 Questions to my nominees

1. When you are down, what encourages you to get back up and keep pressing on?

2. What is something that you have learned about loving others?

3. In what or where do you find joy?

4. Have you read any good books lately that have encouraged you?

5. Where is your favorite place to write?

Run Your Race

Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ”

It seems that lately I’ve had many conversations with other Christians about the condition of the world and the church in particular. I believe most Christians would agree that staying true to your faith in Jesus takes effort. It doesn’t come naturally. We have to be willing to trust God and surrender our lives to Him. If you stop to think about it, it also takes effort to pursue the ways of the world. It’s just that the ways of the world are more popular, so it seems more enticing. However, destruction will eventually follow, because sin when full grown leads to death.

James 1:14-15 NIV, “but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

But following Jesus leads to life…

John 14:6 NIV, ”Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Surrendering to Jesus starts with a decision, but then that decision has to be walked out day by day. Even when the road gets rough, we still have a choice to surrender our all to our Lord. The race we are running for Jesus Christ requires our devotion to Him. We have to learn to obey Him (even in the little things) and make Him a priority in our daily lives.

We also have to accept the fact that to follow Him, we will not always have the approval of people. Sadly even other Christians will at times try to hold us back from closely following Jesus, most likely so they can stay lukewarm or be comfortable in some type of unconfessed sin. There is always that constant tugging upon our hearts to leave our True Love behind and go our own way. But His way is greater. His way is truth. His way satisfies.

Psalm 145:16 NIV, ”You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”

Keep running your race for Jesus. Don’t allow the enemy or people to deter you. Stay focused on the One who will never leave you nor forsake you. The Holy Spirit will empower you. Let the reality of His love carry you through the ups and downs of life. Let His peace be your comfort when people try to harm you. Trust God to bring justice in any and every situation you face. He will fight for you.

Don’t give up, just keep running!

Yes, God Is Real

When God is real to you, that’s something that no one can take away from you. Nothing compares to knowing Him for yourself. You may not know everything there is to know, however as long you continue to walk by faith, and take one day at a time, you are making progress. Some days we may feel closer to God than others, but nevertheless He is there every step of the way. He never leaves us.

Psalm 106:1 ESV, “Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”

I woke up this morning with this song in my heart, “Yes, God Is Real”. It was written by Kenneth Morris, and many sang it, but I first heard it sung by Sandi Patti.

There are some things

I may not know

There are some places

Oh Lord, I cannot go

But I am sure

Of this one thing

That God is real

For I can feel

Him in my soul

Yes, God is real

Oh, He’s real in my soul

Yes, God is real

For He has a washed

And made me whole

His love for me

Is just like pure gold, oh Lord

My God is real

For I can feel

Him in my soul

Keep seeking the Lord and keep trusting in Him. His love for you will never change. Have a wonderfully blessed day.

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