God. Is. Greater.

It's so easy to start worrying. We could worry about anything. How will I pay my next bill? Will I ever get over this sickness? What if my car breaks down? What if I have an accident when driving through the snow? So. Many. Worries. So how can we stop this worrying?

Trust God. He is the Creator and holds the world in His hands. When you start to worry or fear nags at you, remember that God. Is. Greater.

When something happens in my life that wasn't part of the plan, I start to worry. When I'm out in situations outside my comfort zone, fear grips my heart. But God never wants His children to feel they are going through life alone. We have someone greater watching over our every step. So again I say...trust God. Only then will you be at peace. This may be easier said than done, but if you read the Bible and pray, God can give you peace in the midst of your storm.

A Song in the Night

So I have been reading through the book of Job in the Bible, and what an incredible book! Job worshipped God, but had been through a huge test as Satan was allowed to take away everything from Job but his life. Many of us cannot say that we've been through as great a trial as Job. He lost his family, his servants, his animals, and much more all at once!

He stood strong for a while, but then as Satan continued to torment Job, we read about Job's feelings. He was distraught to the extent that he just wanted God to end his life. Did God really abandon him and not care enough to prevent those things from happening to him? Of course not.

One particular verse caught my attention as Elihu said to Job in Job 35:10, "But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;" What does that mean that God giveth songs in the night? I believe it is saying that God helps us to rejoice in tribulation. Even when everything is dark as night, God gives us hope. He gives us a song, and we are at peace no matter what is going on around us. An example of this idea could be Paul and Silas as they were in jail with what we would think as a no hope situation. But despite all they had been through and their bleak circumstances, they started to sing. This is truly incredible, and something we can think about the next time we are about to let our circumstances overwhelm us. God is in control of every situation in our lives, and only He knows the future. He knows our steps before we take them.

 I thank God for giving a song in the night.

Romans 8:38-39

38.   For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39.   Not height, nor death, nor any other creature, shall be able to seperate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Striving Together

          Have you ever had a thought along these lines, "I can't read a book without finding swears or filthy information in it."

         Well, look no further. Striving Together Publications is the only place I personally have bought books from, and they have not let me down. Their bookstore contains many great books depending on your area of need. Through their publications, my faith in Christ has been strengthened and I have been greatly encouraged in my walk with Jesus. It is worth looking through their selections and buying a book from their website. Take a look ---->  http://strivingtogether.com/categories/Books/

Jesus is the Answer

       

JESUS is the Answer

 

When life seems like giant waves crashing all around you,

        and you lose sight of the shore,

        and your situations all seem dark and stormy...

look to Jesus.

       

When you feel like no one understands you,

and no one seems to care,

and your heart gives into lonely thoughts...

talk to Jesus.

 

When everything seems dull and dreary,

and life seems to hold no joy for you,

and your hope is almost gone...

sing to Jesus.

 

SO

When you face the insurmountable,

and know you can't face it on your own,

and you're hoping for a miracle...

trust in Jesus - He's the One.

 

~Vanessa

Random Thoughts

        Treasure the little moments now while you have them. Spend time with the people you love and are closest to this summer, because after the time is spent, you won't get it back. Our time to made a difference is short, so if you see a need, fill a need...and let Christ's light shine through you. Be willing to be used of God, and stand still so God can move. Thank God for everything and praise Him even when things seem bad. Don't be afraid to sing praises to God because you think you can't sing or because you don't like your voice. God wants to hear you sing, and everyone else's opinion doesn't matter. Looks aren't everything. Don't judge people or a situation too quickly, you may not have all the details.

                                Don’t Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–

You may succeed with another blow,

Success is failure turned inside out–

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–

It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

 

~ Edgar A. Guest

He is There

A Tender Heart

A TENDER HEART

Ron Hamilton

 

Take me now, Lord Jesus, take me;

I would give my heart to Thee.

Thy devoted servant make me,

Only Thine to be.

 

Savior, while my heart is tender,

I would give Thee every part.

All my talents I surrender;

I am Thine, Lord, here's my heart.

 

Use me now, Lord Jesus, use me,

As I tell of Calvary.

May Thy Spirit move within me,

Bringing souls to Thee.

 

Savior, while my heart is tender,

I would give Thee every part.

All my talents I surrender;

I am Thine, Lord, here's my heart.

 

Send me now, Lord Jesus, send me,

Lead me in Thy perfect way.

Thy command shall always guide me;

Gladly I obey.

 

Savior, while my heart is tender,

I would give Thee every part.

All my talents I surrender;

I am Thine, Lord, here's my heart.

Bow the Knee

Keeping On

Meant to Be

Being Yourself

Girls & Women:
Exterior beauty will fade away over time. It is the "inner beauty" that will never fade - what's in your heart. It is things like kindness towards others, a positive attitude, a joyful spirit, and even modesty that will set us apart from others. You may be able to fool boys and men with a boatload of makeup, curled hair, and stylish clothes - but what's on the inside will come out eventually. By looking at the women around me, I have thought many times that it's the outside that counts...that I have to look pretty in order to get a guy to notice me. Now I think differently. The right guy will like you just the way you are - makeup or no makeup. The right guy will be able to look past the surface, and will fall in love with your personality and your characteristics and everything about you. And if he wants you to change anything about yourself, you shouldn't be with him.

People will always judge how you look, count on it. But, people will never forget your unique personality and what makes you, you - believe it.

Spirit of Giving

            Christmas time usually lifts people's spirits. There are lights, presents, and the promise of snow. It is a time that we feel good about ourselves because we have given to others. I love giving gifts to others, but I don't want that happy feeling to ever fade away. This December, I am reminded that the reason we give gifts is because we are following God's example as He gave His son, Jesus, to die on a cross to give us the gift of salvation. This is by far the greatest, most precious gift that could ever be given! It is beyond measure - priceless even. No one can buy this gift of salvation which leads to everlasting life, but out of God's love and mercy, He offers it as a free gift to the world! That thought alone is astounding to me, since we as humans have done nothing to deserve this wonderful free gift. This example of selfless giving is my motivation and reason for giving to others. We need to make sure we have the right motives for giving gifts. Is it to gain popularity? Is it to gain something in return? No, Jesus DIED for me so that I could obtain salvation and live with Him someday in Heaven. How can I not try to reflect His selfless devotion to others in meager acts of kindness?
          How much better things would be if we all just stopped thinking about ourselves and what we can gain and actually did something for someone else with no strings attached. There are so many people who are lonely and hurting this holiday season. We can overlook them and convince ourselves that we have nothing to give them or we can offer them something. We really do have a lot to give other people, whether it's a little bit of money, material objects, words of encouragement, or prayer. Just something to think about during this CHRISTmas season.

God is on my side!

4 Given by God!

To all my fellow Christians, I wanted to share my thoughts with you.
So many times I let the things of this life burden me down. Instead of giving my problems to God Almighty, I let the burden accumulate until I break under the weight of it all. I ask myself a million different questions all starting with "why?" "Why didn't I do this?" "Why did I forget that?" "There's no point of return." Satan wants us to feel sorry and alone. It wasn't until God picked up the pieces and set me on my feet again and gave me hope that I was able to see clearly again. God still cared about me - He never stopped. Why did I not take my burden to God in the first place? Because I thought I could do it, I thought there was nothing He could do to help my situation. WRONG! God wants to help us and he does not want to see us suffer.
My challenge to you: so that you never forget how good God is to you and how He can work in your life, start a journal in which you date each entry and write when you feel God has blessed you. I have one and find it very encouraging to be able to read back over previous blessings. As the hymn writer put it, "Count your many blessings, count them one-by-one."
I hope you have been encouraged by this post.
~Vanessa