When grace was born...

I've been reading the story of Jesus in the first part of Luke this past week and studying the greek side of it too. What has my mind stirring is not only the miraculous birth of Jesus but what Gabriel the angel said to Mary. He was sent by the Lord to tell Mary she would carry Jesus. In the very first greeting he called her "favored one" in Luke 1:28 & again in verse 30 He reassured her to not be afraid because she had found "favor" with God. The greek meaning of favor in each verse above is rooted out of the word charis. Charis means grace. You may not feel me yet but let me go further so you can grasp my excitement! The angel Gabriel was assuring Mary that yes she would carry Jesus & grace too. God himself would give His grace to Mary & Joseph because there wouldn't be a day forward that it wasn't necessary. Any woman who has ever been pregnant can understand how hard it is & definitely empathize with Mary through the difficulty of it all. What I want you to grasp is the magnitude of God's grace by way of Jesus. God knew Mary & Joseph couldn't do it alone so He gave them grace to sustain them. He spoke to Joseph numerous times, had Joseph not listened grace would have died. You see Jesus is, was, and always be the substance of God's grace. You & I need God's grace (Jesus)! Without grace where would we be?
Are you with me yet?! Do you see that it wasn't easy for Mary to always be on the look out but God by grace always made a way…she rode for miles on the back of a camel, 9 months pregnant! What this story means for me is this. Grace doesn't make things easy or perfect but it makes them bearable & possible! Grace means that I can have satisfaction despite how difficult my season is at the moment. God isn't going to leave us or forsake us EVER. If we will listen He will keep us, guide us & lead us into safety EVERY time. No evil can hurt us or take us down. There is not season in life so hard that we His grace can't sustain us. I'm talking about the power that began to inhabit the earth embodied in the baby, Jesus. He was grace with hands & feet. Mary marveled I'm sure of it & worshipped Him that cold desert night. Not because she had given birth to her baby boy but because she held redemption in her hands. She kissed the face of grace & would watch through the years Jesus live up to everything God had sent Him for. His purpose in living was to die. To provide a way through grace to gain access to God. The Christmas story bears new meaning for me in my adult years. The gifts not important at all but ultimately I can't help but be overwhelmed by grace the unmerited favor of God being birthed in a manger with one purpose already established in Heaven to be the Savior of the world.

Much love this Christmas season

Katie

He longs for you...

Revelation 19:9 "Then the angel said to me, "Write: "Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" And he added, "These are the true words of God."

God never intended for us to live a self-centered life without Him. He desires closeness & relationship. He delights loving us & loves even more when we love Him too. He enjoys communion & conversation. It's with lovingkindness that He ultimately desires us to be prepared as the bride (His children) to be joined with the bridegroom(Him) for an eternity in Heaven. Imagine the excitement of a bridegroom for his bride…that's the analogy the Bible gives of God's heart towards His people.
Imagine with me for moment a bridegroom who is perfectly ok with his bride being with another in relationship or devoted to something else more than he. Do you think you would be ok if your spouse committed adultery? Would you just sit back or would you be deeply saddened & be jealous for your spouses commitment to you? Our relationship with God is the same way. We have all been guilty of devoting our time & minds to other things or relationships above our relationship with God at some point in our lives. He created us for Himself, to be in constant communion with Him. Our earthly time I believe is preparation for eternity & the enemy's end and top goal is to distract the church with anything but Jesus & Him crucified.
I find it interesting that the world isn't really worried about religion, with it's rules & regulations for appropriate religious behaviors. That describes the majority of religion going on in todays world. What I have noticed with great concern over the years is the complete subtraction of the name Jesus & Him crucified. It's in Jesus coming & dying that He provided a way for the bride to attend the wedding supper. It's with great love that God desires relationship now while on earth. It's through the revelation of who God is that we are able to live it out on earth. He desires you completely & totally…

Jesus is returning for a bride whose body is in equal proportion to her head.~Bill Johnson

the wait….

Psalm 130:3-7
New American Standard Bible (NASB)

3 If You, [a]LORD, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait,
And [b]in His word do I hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord
More than the watchmen for the morning;
Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the LORD;
For with the LORD there is lovingkindness,
And with Him is abundant redemption.

Psalm 130 speaks of crying out to God that He would hear the author's supplications or prayers. The words that stand out to me in the above passages are wait, hope in His word, lovingkindness and abundant redemption. Verse 7 really stood out when I read ABUNDANT REDEMPTION or overflow of deliverance. The key is in the wait. To continue to walk through whatever season of life you are in knowing that God ultimately has a plan for deliverance out of the situation. I'm immediately reminded that sometimes we must hold on or wait because it's in that time of need that you see God's hand move in your life in a way that otherwise you wouldn't have. So I'll keep waiting and in the mean time hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is indeed lovingkindness and abundant redemption. I don't know about you but I'll wait until he perfects that which concerns me!

Much Love
Katie

Come away with me…Jesus

Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.~Jeremiah 33:3 Call me different, weird, out of the ordinary but I long to hear from God. To spend time alone in worship or simple conversation. He's the best friend I've ever found. He knows absolutely everything there is to know about me and yet he still wants to love me, guide me, consume me. I'm sure there are no words to adequately describe what He has done in my life. It's like all the shame, guilt, and disgust for myself fell off. What's even crazier is all it took was persistently seeking Him. Opening up the Bible and learning more about Him. The more I understood His love for me the more I loved myself. Now I vow to serve Him, to tell others about Him. I ran across this verse in a worship song I was listening to on Pandora. Jeremiah is packed with many wonderful God-breathed scriptures but this one captures my heart & attention. The Hebrew defines call to mean cry out or call out. Which indicates to me seriousness. When we get before God & our cries are serious He hears but more than that when we become serious about encountering the Lord, He reveals secrets to us that before flew right over our heads, the keys to life in Him. Was the key hidden? No, I had failed to look for Him, He patiently waited for me. Thank God I found Him because now I have a sensitivity to His voice which causes scripture to jump off the page & into my heart. It is truly remarkable to be able to read the Word and it hit you to your core. I believe that is what this scripture is saying. That when we call, He answers and reveals great and mighty secrets to life, to blessing, to victory that without a relationship with the Lord would remain hidden. Wow! Not only does seeking God gain me love & wisdom but it reveals to me so much more. Seeking Him changes my heart which in turn changes my thoughts which changes my words which changes my life… His LOVE is so much BIGGER than you can imagine but first you must call out to GOD let HIM reveal Himself to you. His LOVE is so BIG that it commands your soul & attention. There truly is no greater call you will ever make than to call on the name of Jesus…the King of Kings and Lord of Lords…you will never get a busy signal & He will always answer. Nobody on this earth can guarantee you that, nope not one! Much love, Katie

Beauty…is in the "mind" of the beholder

Beauty. We all want it. Some naturally have it. Some go to great lengths to get it. It leaves me wondering ultimately why? Why so much focus on something that in time will run it's course. There is not an amount of makeup, surgery, or money that can make it last forever. It's great to dress nice, have great hair and own all the right accessories but does it really make you beautiful? I began to think about this because of my desire to ultimately reflect the love of God from the inside out. What I came to realize, as I have many other time is this. Beauty is found within. Period. I particularly like the NLT version of 1 Peter 3:4 that says "You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God." Unfading beauty is found inside the woman who walks in the ways of the Lord. Who seeks His face & draws her strength and wisdom from the scriptures. America focuses on outer beauty more than any other country. Our woman are taught from young children to be sexy. I remember being a awkward teenage girl, unsure of my looks and very influenced by those around me. Dress better, get a tan, wear your hair like this, etc…it seemed the focus never was on what my heart looked like. The years went on, I tried to keep up. What I realize now looking back is how I began to dislike other woman because of my own feelings of inadequacy. I was so caught up in being the best that if I sensed another woman "looked better" I instantaneously didn't like them. I thank God for freedom from all of that now but what a sad way to exist. I simply needed someone to direct me to the Lord at that time & to be encouraged to learn by heart what He said about me. What I so desperately needed to know was that in the eyes of God I was precious, that no matter what anyone said or thought about me that He said "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." Jeremiah 1:5. That He longed to be my source & He didn't create me to be anyone else but me. I am an orginal…You are an original. We all have distinct and individual purpose for our time on this Earth. I encourage all of my fellow ladies to join me as we continue to discover who God says we are. Minus the world's opinion, subtract the lies inside our minds about the definition of beauty, and recognize the hidden truth. Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last, but a woman who fears the Lord shall be greatly praised." Proverbs 31:30 I don't know about you but my greatest desire is for others to see the beauty of Jesus in me first & foremost. That is done by loving others, smiling, and making those you encounter feel cared about every. single. time. In Victory, Katie

faith, hope, and love

"Fear looks; faith jumps. Faith never fails to obtain its object. If I leave you as I found you, I am not God's channel. I am not here to entertain you, but to get you to the place where you can laugh at the impossible."~Smith Wigglesworth I've been reading a lot about faith lately. Not simply saying I believe God but also standing firm without budging kind of faith. You know the kind that says if God said it in His word then it's mine kind of faith! I think far to often we underestimate the power of faith based out of fear. How many times have we believed God for something & we allowed what we saw in the natural to determine whether or not we believed? I want to know God so well that I boldly go to Him in prayer believing that He will answer. It's not about asking Him for a new 100,000 car or a 10,000 wardrobe, when your heart is aligned with the heavenly Father those things leave or they did for me. I still like to dress cute and have nice cars but it's no longer what drives me (no pun intended lol) I long to take everything I've learned about the limitless ability of my Savior & help others. Particularly, women, my hearts desire is to encourage others to grab hold of God in faith, trusting that He will take them to heights they've never dreamed they could go to. Walking in faith takes retraining your brain and that can only happen by reading & mediating on what the bible says is ours. If I walk through life without the word of God to tell me what's belongs to me as a daughter of the King, then I'm not fully grabbing hold of all that Jesus died on the cross to give me. Of course we will all go through various times in our life that require us to have faith or to trust/believe God to walk us through. It is through those tough times that God shows himself. I wouldn't replace the hardest times in my life because it was then that I learned intimately who God really was. That's when I discovered that He was my comforter, my strong-tower, my deliverer and so much more. It's when I became free from every lie I had ever allowed myself to believe and grabbed hold of the truths from God's word about who I was. It takes faith to blindly walk knowing that God will deliver you out of any situation you face. I encourage you all along with myself to continue walking in faith toward what God has planned for you. Own it girl, the price has already been paid! Thank you Jesus! *Always keep in mind that faith without love is not faith. God is love. Love is the base for all things, without it faith doesn't work. Operating in faith requires first operating in love. "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." --1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Matthew 11:22-23 "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, Go, throw yourself into the sea, and does no doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. In victory, Katie <3

The weaker I get the stronger He becomes...

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (The Message Paraphrase) "Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become." Wow! When you begin to get the big picture about life your perspective changes drastically! If every time you struggled or felt overwhelmed you to immediately viewed it as an opportunity for Christ to move in on your life in a new & deeper way would you resist it or embrace it? God's promise is that His grace is ENOUGH! Enough for every battle, enough for every difficult moment, enough for ALL circumstances. Jesus death on the cross accomplished so much more than we often realize. It's because of His sacrifice that we can TRUST God for His GRACE to be enough. What I encourage you to do is to take whatever it is you are battling. The hurt, the pain, the battle & give it away to the One who died to set you free. The burden wasn't meant for you to carry but more of an opportunity for Christ to show himself in your life. I thank God for the struggles because it drove me to seek Him in a way that I wouldn't have if my life had been all roses. I've found a love greater than life itself, I've found a hope stronger & nothing compares. I once was lost but now I'm alive in HIM & I'm never turning back…..Praying that you will join me in a life lost in Jesus! Much love, Katie

not without a fight...

I am compelled to write about this because not only am I going through "the fight of my life" but I have several friends who are too. This is my thoughts as of now about our trials in life, I know that our fight is not against flesh & blood although often times it is people who assist in creating our battles, but the bible says in Ephesians 6:12 that our fight is against principalities and the rulers of darkness in the unseen realm. Wow! Doesn't that change things up a bit? I think our fighting technique would look different & our approach would be a lot more aggressive if we realized that satan himself was the slim ball behind what battle we are currently fighting. The bible mentions fighting over and over. David had many fights on his hands even some he created from his own misdoings, BUT God sustained him through them all because of David's heart that loved Christ & ultimately longed to please the Lord.
I dont' think for a moment that God isn't aware of our current battles. I know without a doubt that He equipped us to be able to withstand the overwhelming moments in life were nothing seems to be going "right". I love in 1 Corinthians 9:26 where Paul states that "I do not fight like a man beating the air" Exactly! Our fight isn't really even about our current circumstance although it sure seems like it. Our fight is for our life, our righteous position as sons & daughters of the most High! We can't allow circumstances to distract us away from our purpose. We are to put on our spiritual armour that way we are positioned for battle. That means to cloth ourselves in truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and prayer as listed in Ephesians 6:10-18.

My God is mighty in power… I will stand strong & fight! Fight for what's right, fight for freedom! I'm stomping all over the works of the enemy in Jesus name! I do not care the hurt I may endure, I'll endure it if Heaven is my reward! James 1:12 "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised those that love Him." Friends we must persevere…it's mandatory. The fights are coming and we must be prepared to face them with strength endowed from Christ alone. Dive deep into the Word of God. Soak up every bit of His promise because it's our weapon, our sword that is living and active, penetrating to the division of spirit and soul, joint and marrow judging the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.(Hebrews 4:12) Through these fights we learn who God is personally and who we are in Him as well. I've had my share & I would not take a moment back because I'm so familiar with who my Savior really is now. I may walk through chaos but I am surrounded by peace…that's my God! I will fight til the end, until I meet Jesus face to face..you can bet that!

With all my love,

Katie

kept by His love, kept by His peace...

I haven't blogged in quite some time, not sure as to the reason why but I do enjoy it so here I am. I felt compelled to share a little of what God's carried me through lately. It's nothing short of chaotic and all the while peaceful, which is why I can say it's God who's carrying me. There is something to be said about giving everything to God. Your control, your emotions, your words, your behavior. He wants to handle our situations for us. To show Himself strong on our behalf, it's what He does best. Ultimately the glory will rest upon Him & His goodness when we've weathered the storms giving others a reason to trust Him too. That's where it's at. Have you considered that all we go through is more about how we handle the hard times than it is the actual element of the hard time. I believe that my life is to be a reflection of Christ & should have His fingerprints all over it! Revealing hardcore evidence that God is real. Not just some fairytale but a real, tangible, living God! How else will the scoffers have no excuse to refuse who He is.

He is my strength when I am weak (2 Cor.12:10), my resting place(Ps.132:14), my portion forever (Ps.73:26)…I could list on forever & not even list a fraction of who He has been to me. We, God's precious children, should walk a life out that shows exactly what love looks like. May I walk in selflessness not selfishness, may I be a glimpse of God's promises, may I be His hands…His feet. I will declare His goodness, His majesty, His love until my heart stops beating. There is no greater privilege to me than to be God's definition of love..on feet.

It's in the pursuit...

Trust me when I say i'm not a runner but the image of someone running helps me convey what I feel we tend to do in life… We run ourselves crazy both physically & mentally but what is it that we are in pursuit for? Is it Christ centered? This week I've allowed my distraction with life to run me ragged all the while I didn't realize it was actually distracting me from my pursuit towards Christ. Not that I've officially "backslidden" but my mind isn't on point the way I like it. I desire to utilize the ability to filter through the good stuff & the bad stuff and then decide easily what I allow to stay. The only way I have successfully achieved that in the past is to fill up with the Word of God & focus on Christ alone! If i'm not daily pursuing what would be pleasing to God in my life then I fail. Period. Not that I classify myself a failure but I miss the mark when I don't fight for my daily time with Christ. It's in that alone time I find intimacy with my Savior & gain peace that no man can rob from me regardless my current circumstance.

I have to realize that people will let us down..it's life. I get to decided how much I focus on someones actions or words towards me that are hurtful or not edifying to my life. It's me that decides that "I have the mind of Christ" & declare that no matter what, that I will see all through the eyes of Jesus no matter the level of hurt I my have suffered. I guess more than anything I realize that it's in my pursuit for Christ that life will happen. Disappointment, hurt, anger and all of the above will occur but it boils down to this. Who is your heart in pursuit for? Your own interest or the will of God? I know from experience when it's Christ you're running after & you get off track He will lovingly guide you back to Him even if it hurts.
Today I'm just thankful that as spoken from God to Israel in Jeremiah 31:3 "I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." Yes it's with lovingkindness that our Savior desires for our pursuit in life to be grounded in Him alone. It's in our pursuit that we gain understanding of who God is and all the He is able to perform.
Let me end this post with this...Continue on in obedience to God, pursue Him with all that you have, love all you are given the opportunity to come in contact with….You will not regret a single moment of this kind of pursuit! It's the only one I'm after…

fully persuaded...

As spoken of Abraham in Romans 4:18-25 "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be" 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead - since he was about a hundred years old - and that Sarah's womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waiver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what He had promised. 22. This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." 23 The words "it was credited to him" were written for not him alone. 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness - for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification."

Words that stick out to me immediately include: Against all hope, in hope believed and became, without weakening his faith, faced the fact, yet did not waiver regarding the promises of God, but was strengthened in his faith, gave glory to God, fully persuaded that God does what He has promised, credited to him as righteousness, but not just for Abraham but for us too, those who believe God….

Just my short paraphrase blows my mind at the delight God has in rewarding His children for having faith in His ability to do what He has said He would do in our lives. God doesn't sit around waiting to punish His children He is looking to bless us and has given us a clear road in doing so (in the scriptures). I love Abraham's solid rock attitude of faith. I picture him appearing foolish to those around him. The general population would scoff at the idea of some 90-100 year old couple believing that God was going to bless the womb of Sarah & give them the promise God had spoke to them years before. Do you have a promise? Are you still holding on or have you given up on the notion that God can & will do it? Have you considered that it's your faith holding you back? Are you speaking life into your promise or letting it lay abandoned without hope. There is no one or no thing that has "no hope" when God is involved & I believe that with all of my heart.

I wonder how many promises the enemy has "stolen" before they came to life. Well I am here today to tell you those promises are still yours! By faith God can perform the unbelievable in your life! I love Ephesians 3:20 "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us," It's the power that is at work within us friends. God accomplished all from the end to the beginning. In other words all the blessings God has for us is dependent on just that…US! Pursue God, read His word, claim the scriptures for yourself, be strengthened in your faith, and rest in God's perfect plan for your life. Believing that God knows the plans He has for you…to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11)


Katie

One day soon...

One day soon…"The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and His name the only name" Zechariah 14:9

I am overcome with joy when I think about the soon return of Christ. I am quickly reminded that believers all have a future & it's one full of hope! I know the present troubles can overshadow this truth but it's all temporary. All wind & waves as a dear friend of mine would say. Wind & waves distracted Peter from walking in faith to Jesus on the water when He called out for Him. There are events that take place in our life that are nothing more than "wind & waves" and learning to recognize them for the distraction they are is crucial. The Bible tells us over and over to expect trouble in this life but to encourage one another with hope!

Acts 14:22 "strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said."

Today whatever "trouble" may be looming remind yourself that Jesus walks with you. There is nothing that you can't conquer with God on your side Allow troubles to strengthen your faith & rest in the truth that yes, He has indeed overcome the world!!

John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."


Blessings <3

Katie

It's Sunday...

Last night I could barely let myself fall asleep from the excitement of resurrection Sunday coming! Jesus is alive! The tomb is empty! Those words ring so true for me because of the value of their meaning. As I sit amongst the silence in my house & enjoy my morning cup of coffee, I savor the blessings all around me. The ability to have a quite time, to enjoy coffee, to be able to walk into a house of praise this morning to share in the celebration of the resurrection of our Savior. Frankly, I'm overwhelmed with God's love and mercy. You see death couldn't hold Him down. He fulfilled the ultimate sacrifice & because of it our sin is covered. Covered in the blood of Jesus!

"14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. 20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died." 1 Corinthians 15:14-20

Because of the obedience of Jesus Christ "it is finished". Death has lost it's sting. Now to live is Christ & die is gain. We are free! We are free! We are free! Take part in the goodness of God and what He has to offer. Today I am full of joy & I celebrate. It's because I know Jesus loved me so much and He took on all my ugly sin and now I walk with Him in freedom. Won't you come with me?

"Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf!" Psalm 66:5

"How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!" Psalm 47:2



He is risen! He is risen! The tomb is empty!



Easter blessings to you…


Katie

Giving your all to Him...

"The Christian life can be explained only in terms of Jesus, and if your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you - your personality, your willpower, your gift, your talent, your money, your courage, your scholarship, your dedication, your sacrifice, or your anything - then although you may have the Christian life, you are not yet living it! ... True Godliness leaves the world convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the only explanation for you, is Jesus Christ." - Ian Thomas


In life, we can get so caught up in our accomplishments, that we all too soon we become stuck in an exhausting cycle. It may even seem like there is no end in sight, no relief from the stress. But I am here to tell you there is a solution & it's a breath away…His name is Jesus! Jesus offers us hope in Matthew 11:28-29 when He says "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." This is an offer directly from our Savior. He longs to fill every fiber of our being if we would simply let go of all of our own control and allow His presence to guide us. He desires to "carry" our load giving our soul relief. He's so good like that, hence the description "God is love" He loves us more than we can imagine & that's great news!!

And His ultimate act of love brings me to today, Good Friday.I thought about all He endured and it broke my heart. As the tears streamed I realized that every bit of the torture He endured was for me & for you. He did it to give us the opportunity to be reconciled to Him, taking on the entire world's sin. Today make the decision to break free from "life" as you know it & walk boldly with Jesus by your side! Allow holiness to be your ultimate goal knowing that even when you slip you can get back up & keep going. Let the only explanation for your life be Jesus Christ! Death didn't win that day 2,000 years ago. God had the upper hand & because of that you have the opportunity to find yourself in Him & live in victory!!! Praise the Lord!

Your sister in Christ!

Katie

the more you seek Him the more you will find Him...

Today I'm tossing around the idea of closeness with God. There seems to be days where I don't feel Him as closely as I want to. I'm quickly reminded that God doesn't move…I do! You see many times I've been told "I love God but I'm not as close to Him as I want to be" I can say with a bold confidence that I've been there too! I can also tell you that you get as much of God as you pursue..seriously. The scripture in Jeremiah 29:13 goes like this "you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart" Take note that it doesn't say with some of your heart but it says search for God with ALL of your heart. You see God isn't someone who desires to be sought for blessings only, although He does indeed bless. He is to me my Redeemer, the lifter of my head, the One who loves me for me, who loves me with an everlasting love & with lovingkindness draws me unto Him (Jer. 31:3). He is whatever you need Him to be. He is the lover of your soul & He is aware of everything you are going through. Today God desires to be the One who consumes every part of your being. He longs for you to give up the fight for control over your life. Relinquish every part of your mind to Him and let Him lead you. This can be done…I promise. I speak from experience. There isn't a day that goes by that a choice does not have to be made to follow the Lord in faith or follow my flesh in worry. It truly is a battle of the mind…the scripture says that we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16) & that even though our outer man is decaying our inner man is being renewed day by day.(2 Cor. 4:16) Being renewed is a daily choice. The Greek translation for renewed is to renew, to renovate, in the sense of change from a carnal to a Christian life, to increase in faith, hope, virtue, etc. Wow! I love the word renovate. Everyday we must renovate our minds to rid it of the sinful nature that is always waiting to rise back up. Think of it like this. There is a home that you love from the outside but there are some things on the inside that need to be renovated to make it beautiful & lovely. That's how we must consider the inside of our hearts & minds. To be all together lovely as the Lord sees us! Today I encourage you with Isaiah 55:6 " Seek the Lord while He may be found, call on him while He is near"


Your sister in Christ,

Katie

He's waiting on you...

He will tax the last grain of sand and the remotest star to bless us if we will obey Him.~Oswald Chambers

We serve a God of the miraculous! It's nothing for Him to cause the entire world to spin in our favor. I wonder how long many of us have missed out on God's best for us because of disobedience in our lives. The Bible is an instruction manuel for a life of victory! No, maybe  life doesn't always pan out the way you planned but it's a guaranteed win when we follow God's plan & not our own. Obedience is better than sacrifice 1 Samuel 15:22. True story! Go & read a little about what it cost Saul to not be obedient & what David gained for following after God's way & not his own. 

There is much to say about the path of obedience. It's been one of total surrender of my old self combined with a strong drive on my part to grasp what God had waiting for me if I would take it. All of His treasures lay waiting in the Bible. Day by day I read & began to let the words sink in. What I found was a weapon that repeatedly defended me as I battled struggles. It wasn't the same anymore! Depression, negativity, strongholds were unable to reside inside my heart anymore because I was able to recollect the scripture to fight back. The Bible says in Hebrews 4:12 that the Word of God is living & active. Sharper than any two edged sword, penetrating even to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."  See that's the power of scripture & the importance of reading the Bible consistently. It is our guide & path to a life of obedience with God. 

God loves us & desires to give us a fulfilled life in Him. One that is full of peace, joy and love! He simply desires us to abandon all that we are & give our whole heart and soul to Him. The Word of God is a free gift for your taking. We surely will live victorious lives when we get serious about reading and applying His word to all situations that arise. I encourage you today to let go of anything that keeps you held back from God's best for you!

early will I seek You...

Psalm 63:1 "O God, thou art my God; EARLY WILL I SEEK
THEE...." (KJV).

There is none like the one true living God. I sense His presence in the early hours of my Saturday as I type this blog entry. He is my secret place my resting grounds. His love is better than life & I am fully aware that I'm ruined for anything else. How can I express in words what following Him has done to me? There are none I suppose but I'll try. He has shown me recently that "all our righteous acts are as filthy rags"Isaiah 64:6 which tells me that there is not one thing I can physically do to earn His gift of salvation, love & forgiveness. The Word makes it clear to me what pleases Him and that is adhering and applying His commands to my life. Not that anyone ever gets that perfect but in 1 Samuel 16:7 the Lord told Samuel that He wasn't concerned with the outside appearance of a man, He was concerned with the HEART. The only way I ever lined my heart up with God was when I began to take the scripture literally. I decided that in all situations I would apply the Word. This requires obedience because as I discovered it isn't always easy to follow His commands but its worth it. It's a willingness to commit yourself to changing your way of thinking. In John 14:15 Jesus said "if you love me, you will obey what I command" The only way we learn His commands is by reading the Bible and making it apart of our everyday life. We must allow it to soak in to the depths of our being. Hebrews 4:12 says that "The the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Wow! That's powerful. The word of God has the ability to change our hearts and it has changed mine. My heart desires to walk in obedience just like Jesus did. Obedience requires faith that God will do what His word says it will do. Faith pleases God & causes Him to act upon our circumstances. Romans 10:17 "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by (what?) The word of GOD" I urge you to take this journey with me dig in to the scriptures & grasp what all Jesus accomplished on the cross for you. I know without a doubt that we won't be disappointed because God is & always has been.. so faithful!

Katie

Redemption is so much better than perfection..

More often than not we let ourselves forget the grave nature of His sacrifice. We forget how treacherous it was for Him because it's easier to keep our minds off of His suffering. Some even choose to believe that maybe, just maybe it didn't happen the way they said it did. But the truth is it happened, every single bit of human torture he endured, every single bead of sweat that hit open wounds that sent burning through out his body. The cross sealed our forgiveness of sin and was the ultimate sign of obedience to God the Father…..it was ALL for YOU and it was done out of the purest form of LOVE! His sacrifice gave us a chance for redemption no matter what our past looked like. We don't have to be perfect instead we are given a chance at redemption. I always say that my passion for Christ is fueled by how His love radically diminished my self-hate or need for perfection…how His love transcended all my past failures and mistakes. He saw my heart…he saw my potential, He knew who I could be and was committed to slowly changing my heart to be more like the Savior's. This hasn't been the easiest road but without a doubt the most rewarding. Every trial I've endured He's carried me thru and my faith has grown like crazy. I'm proudly in love with my Savior. God has become more and more tangible to me and I'm exceedingly grateful for His Holy Spirit that never leaves my side. People we serve a really big God who has an unthinkably awesome future for His followers. If you read this and have never accepted Jesus Christ as Lord, from experience I would say…give Him a chance..He will bypass any & all expectations you may have. If you do, then take this time to remember your first love. Is He your first priority? Because It's completely obvious to me that we were his first priority when He died upon the cross. I'm moving forward with my Savior I'm ready for whatever wonderful, glorious future He has planned for me and I hope and pray you are too.

Katie


But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us. Romans 5:8


[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! Ephesians 3:19

this too shall pass...

Over the past few days I have been filtering a plethora of emotions that range from utter shock to fear of the unknown. These feelings at times leave me feeling desperate...devastated. I can not wrap my mind around my father's recent diagnosis nor do I want to actually. He started chemotherapy today. This makes it real & the thought of my precious daddy having to go through this makes me flat out ill. So I am left with this....a choice. I can allow these emotions to keep me on a roller coaster that will eventually leave me haggard and worn or I can stand firm,dig in my heels and remember to whom I and my father belong. We are both children of the Most High God, bought with a price, precious in His site. I again am reminded to TRUST Him with EVERYTHING. My father often reminds me of the scripture found in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." He's got it right, God has wonderful thoughts of good towards my father & me for that matter.Thoughts that are more full of perfect love than I could ever fathom. I also know deep down that God's promises are true & that every single word of scripture is nothing less than solid truth. When He said in Isaiah 53:5... by His stripes we are healed" He meant it! Every single word. That goes for ALL promises made to us in the Bible. I choose today to stand firm in my faith and claim what is rightfully ours as joint heirs in the Kingdom...knowing that if every single hair on our head numbered & known by God than God is concerned with what concerns me & above all, I can TRUST in Him.

1 Corinthians 8:3 "The man who loves God is known by God."

Katie

held close...

Thoughts of His concern for our every need flood my mind today. Be it fear, worry, doubt...He patiently waits for me to turn it over in His hands. Watching to see how long I will wrestle with these emotions, longing to take it from my grasp just to give me relief. Oh why do we hold on so tight to feelings that have no power over us. The very things that Jesus himself left the throne to conquer on our behalf by the spilling of His precious blood. Will I choose to claim the victory that is rightfully mine or choose to re-crucify Him when I try and battle anything alone denying His power to handle it for me. It boils down to trust...will I trust that His will no matter what it is, is 100% best for me? Will I accept that His Word is truth & that the real power (scripture) lay at my fingertips....ready to be absorbed to my core & proclaimed with my tongue... Isaiah 55:11 "so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." We have been made for His glory to accomplish more than our feeble minds have the ability to dream about. He longs for us to walk in our Kingdom authority instead of being hung up on the cares of this world. He longs for us to trust Him for our next step because it's in trusting Him that faith grows and its in our faith that God is pleased.  I choose to trust God, to have huge crazy faith in His power,to be held close to Him the very same way as a mother I hold my babies...   Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6


Katie

His love...

Because I have experienced His love....I've been consumed. By a love so deep, so real, so intoxicating. He is my First Love, my Redeemer, my Rock, my All in All. He sustains me through grief, through fear, and through all the unknowns life hands out. He causes peace to reside deep in my soul, nothing else matters that is occurring around me because I can trust Him with my life...my very heart and being. He would never leave me or forsake me of this I am certain. He longs to bring me good all the days of my life. His presence in my life at time is overwhelming the likes of a constant high. I am fully aware & understand that to the world, my abandonment to his call on my life is alien, somewhat foreign to them...but I am not of this world...this is not my home. So I will walk in His love with the ever increasing desire to share & prayerfully transfer this freedom to others. His desire is for us his children to walk the way Jesus did while on this Earth, to become more like Him in every way...equally yoking together with our Creator & allowing His love to transform us from the inside out. When you encounter a love so great, so amazing the end result is a life consumed, never to be the same again, one that is sickened by the remaining sin present in their life. Christ wants to burn inside all of our hearts like a fire, refining, purifying, burning away the old....an all consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). Step by step sin falls out of your life as you fight to pursue Christ and all that He has in store for you. In Him there is fullness of joy, peace unspeakable, satisfaction despite what is seen with the physical eye....he simply desires our heart...every bit of it...leaving us CONSUMED by His LOVE!

Katie