Tag: Trusting God

The Whosoever Tag

Thanks big brother Matt @ Jesusluvsall Blog for nominating me for this tag. Visit Matt’s blog for a variety of posts! He shares God’s Word, worship music, fun stories from his life, testimonies about battling chronic illness, and inspiring stories about his journey as a teacher working with refugees and immigrants! 🤗❤️

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” ~ John 3:16

And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. ~ Mark 8:34

Here are the rules:

  1. This tag is for any follower of Jesus who wants to do it. If you love Jesus and are a “Whosoever”, you are tagged.
  2. Link the original post (The Whosoever Tag) and give credit to the creator of this tag (Purple Rose) https://reluctantpreachersdaughter.wordpress.com
  3. Answer the 10 original questions asked by Purple Rose
  4. Share the link to at least one Christian blog post or blogger you love (you may share as many blog posts or bloggers as you like).
  5. Use the original tag image as the FEATURED image on your post:

Here are the questions:

1. How old were you when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? I was 9 years old, but it was not until my late 20’s when I really started seeking to know the Lord more.

2. How many times have you been baptized? Once.

3. What Bible story or verse puzzles you most? I’m wondering when??…Matthew 24:36, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

4. What is something you would like to know about Heaven? What it’s like to see Jesus face to face.

5. Who is the first person you knew on earth that you will look for or you hope will be waiting to greet you at the pearly gates? My Dad. He died 20 years ago. It’ll be great to see him again.

6. Why do you think the streets in Heaven are made of gold? I’m not sure, maybe because it’s so beautiful.

7. What is the ONE burning question you can’t wait to ask Jesus? I’m not sure if I’ll have questions. I think once we’re in His presence everything will be crystal clear. All worries and worldly concerns will be no more.

8. Other than Jesus, what person from the Bible are you most interested to meet? Daniel. I like him because he was so committed to being faithful to the Lord.

9. What are 3 things you won’t miss about being on earth? The violence, the materialism, and the injustices.

10. What is the best spiritual advice you have ever received? Keep trusting God even when I don’t understand all the details.

Please share the link to at least one Christian blog post or blogger you love (you may share as many blog posts or bloggers as you like).

Below are my nominees if you choose to participate…🤗

Mikaela

God’s Love

Barb

Mr. Holliman

Tina

Deb

Jeanne

Eileen

Manu

Karen

Guard Your Lips

Proverbs 13:3 NIV, “Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.”

It’s crucial to be cautious with our words. The words we speak to others, and even the things we say about ourselves, can do good, or they can do harm. Words can build up or they can tear down. They can bring life or death (Proverbs 18:21). One of the best ways to “guard our lips” is to think before we speak. Thinking before we speak honors God and helps us to better love our neighbors. Also taking time to listen to others when they are speaking will help us to better understand how they feel.

Photo by: Oleg Magni of Switzerland 🇨🇭

Luke 6:45 NIV says, “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

Filling our hearts with the wisdom and truth found in God’s Word will empower us to speak words that bring life to ourselves and others.

Florida Memories: Where’s My Car?

In February 2019, my cousin Tanisha who lives in New York, came to Florida for several days on a business trip. When my daughter Shalenah and I found out she was going to be in town, we made plans to visit her. She was staying at a hotel in Miami Beach, which was about a 30-40 minute drive from where I was living. Miami Beach is also home to the very popular, South Beach. It was a nice hotel, and after conducting a brief internet search, I discovered there are only four others like it, two located in Los Angeles, one in New York City, and one in London.

Photo taken at South Beach, June 2015

Upon arriving at the hotel, we had a little trouble finding a place to park, which is normal for a place like Miami Beach. Finding a parking space there can be extremely frustrating, due to the heavy traffic and the lack of available parking spaces. After driving around for a bit, we finally found a space. There were a few confusing signs, but after doing our best to interpret them, we decided it was a safe place to park.

My daughter and I spent about an hour and a half visiting with Tanisha. It was a pleasure to sit and talk with her. It would have been nice to have dinner, but due to an evening work engagement she had, we all decided we wouldn’t have enough time, so we said our goodbyes and my daughter and I started our walk back to the car.

Photo by: JESHOOTS.com of Czech Republic 🇨🇿

When we arrived at the space where my car was parked, guess what? There was NO CAR! We walked up and down the sidewalk hoping we were just in the wrong place. When I heard the words, “No mommy the car is gone”, we decided to take a look at those confusing signs again, and we ended up calling the number on one of them. They confirmed they had my car, so we began our ten minute walk to the place where my car was located.

Upon arrival we entered the building and went to the front desk. The clerk told me the area where my car was towed from was a popular area for cars being towed, because people often misunderstood the signs. I guess this was his way of letting me know I wasn’t alone. I also guessed that the “confusing sign method” was a clever way to bring in revenue.

Photo by: Kelly Lacy of the USA 🇺🇸

After pulling out my orange and green Florida driver’s license to confirm my identity, I was told the only method of payment they accepted was cash; then he pointed me to the ATM that was sitting in the corner. I remember feeling thankful that I had money in my account that I could get from the ATM, because I realized some people would not have had the money at all. After paying the two hundred plus bucks to get my car back, we were escorted to the back of the building. There sat my car with many, many other cars surrounding it. Once my car was freed, we were on our way back home.

Regardless of these inconvenient circumstances, the Lord was still good to me; I ended up getting an unexpected gift the next week that reimbursed my towing expenses! What the enemy meant for evil, God worked out for my good. If you’re ever in Miami Beach, read those signs carefully! This was my first time ever having my car towed, but hopefully it will also be my last.

Psalm 121:8, “The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.”

My daughter Shalenah, my cousin Tanisha and me, February 2019

Previous Florida Memories post: Florida Memories: Keep Praying for our College Students

Consider Others

Philippians 2:3 NLT, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.”

This verse completely goes against what our culture promotes nowadays. Thinking of ourselves first is what we are encouraged to do. People trying to impress other people is often the norm, and humility is totally out of the question, because it is considered by many to be a sign of weakness. However, the Word of God assures us that these type of self centered actions will lead to a downfall, because they are rooted in pride, and pride comes before a fall (Proverbs 16:18).

Photo by: Andrea Piacquadio of Hungary 🇭🇺

While Jesus lived here on Earth, He lived a life of love and humility, yet He had all power in His hands. He never tried to exalt Himself above others, yet He was a King. He never compromised His standards, yet He took time out to be with people who were different from Him. Jesus always considered the needs of others and so should we. His words and actions proved that He considered the needs of others and so should ours.

I pray God will empower us to live according to His Word and not give in to any ungodly cultural norms. I also pray He would soften our hearts to walk in love daily by considering the needs of others.

Photo by: Dio Hasbi Saniskoro of Indonesia 🇮🇩

Reflecting on God’s Goodness

14 But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” 15 My times are in your hands…Psalm 31:14-15 (NIV).

I’m very thankful for the way God holds each of our days safely in His hands. He is with us every step of the way guarding our paths. Only He has the ability to make sure that the details of our days go perfectly according to His plans. We don’t have to be anxious for anything. He faithfully provides all we need. His goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives. His unconditional love covers us no matter where we go.

Remembering how far God has brought me and the blessings He has given me, even over the last year as I’ve gone through many changes, makes my heart rejoice. I’m thankful to have the basic necessities of life and so much more. When we take time daily to reflect on the goodness of God, it makes a difference in our life. It enables us to see how amazing our God is, and how much He cares for us.

I pray that as you reflect on God’s goodness, your heart would be filled with thanksgiving, joy and hope. God’s Word declares that when we hope in Him, we will never be put to shame (Psalm 25:3).

Photo by: Na Urchin of Vietnam 🇻🇳

Trust And Be Blessed

Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20 NIV

The Lord always wants what is best for us, so it’s important to follow His instructions for our lives. Although we may not always understand why He is leading us in a certain direction, we can rest knowing He will never lead us astray. He can see the entire outcome, and we can only see what He allows us to see. There have been many times in my own life that God was leading me in a direction I didn’t fully understand. I had to trust Him, obey His instruction, and walk by faith.

Photo by: Q. Hưng Phạm of Vietnam 🇻🇳

It brings peace to follow the path He has laid out, and He always makes sure we have what we need. It has brought amazing joy when I’ve gotten to the point in the journey where I can see why God required me to do whatever He asked me to do. We never come up short when we obey the Lord. The uncertainty we face because of obedience to the Lord is overshadowed by the rewards we receive, especially the rewards of deepening our relationship with Him and growing stronger in our faith. May God bless you as you continue to trust and obey!

I will be taking a blogging break, but hope to return in a couple of weeks or so.

Trade In Panic For Peace

“So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.” (Isaiah 28:16 NIV)

Jesus Christ is our sure foundation. We don’t have to worry when we rely on Him, because He has our lives in His hands. The plans He has for us are good. Sometimes we have experiences in life that are not good; however, we can rest knowing that God will take those experiences and work them out for our good. Although there are many reasons to be stricken with panic, when we rely on Jesus, we can trade in panic for peace. When we put our hope in the One who always keeps His promises, we can walk in joy.

Photo by: Kelvin Valerio of Dominican Republic 🇩🇴

Choosing to trust Jesus is a daily decision. No matter who or what may come our way, we have to be ready to choose Jesus. The enemy is constantly trying to frustrate our efforts to know and serve our Lord, but greater is He who lives in us than He who lives in the world (1 John 4:4). Jesus, our Sure Foundation will never collapse; we can continue to stand strong in Him as we rely on His faithfulness one day at a time.