| Praise |

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven”
Ecclesiastes 3:1

I constantly feel myself going in and out of different seasons. Seasons of sadness, seasons of joy, seasons of anxiety, seasons of strength, seasons of bitterness & seasons of peace. Throughout these past few months, I have been striving to find solid ground. Changes have come in every single area of my life. I have always said that I loved change, but then when push comes to shove, I can only handle so much. I know whom I have believed in, and I know where I find my strength, but where is it during all this chaos. I question why things happen, but never press in to find the reason.

I have had enough!

The devil comes to steal, kill & destroy (John 10:10). I have had this scripture memorized for the past 15+ years, and yet I forget the meaning so often. I forget that in my times of sadness, anxiety & bitterness, the enemy is trying to do everything to steal my joy, kill my strength & destroy my peace… and most of the time.. I let him.

I didn’t know what I could do to change anything. Sometimes, I just enjoyed sitting in my dirty diaper so that I didn’t have to do anything to change. Eventually you get to that point where you realize you stink, and the diaper rash is kicking in. You are beginning to fall into a pit.

So what does it take to get out of that pit. You know that you cant do it alone, but where do you start?

Start with Praise!

Start telling God how magnificent, powerful & graceful He is. Thank Him for the works He has done in your life & the things He is about to do. When you begin to fill your heart & mouth with praise, the devil loses. The devil is confused by our praise because we are still so thankful for what God has done that all the garbage isn’t important. Create in your heart an end point; a point where you know that God has called you to be. Once you have that point in your sights, begin to have faith that God will bring you do that point, and praise Him until you’re there.

“I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God!”
Deuteronomy 32:3

| Prepare |

The return of Jesus Christ is coming.. Be Ready!!

These are words I have heard my entire life. Each generation exuberantly speaks of the return of Jesus Christ and that it is happening soon. Each day passes, and we are getting closer and closer to the end. Over this past weekend, there was a huge uproar because the Supreme Court of the United States decided that gay couples are legally allowed to marry. Social media was full of hate, violence & bigotry. These actions were not just by Christians, but also by those in agreement with the courts decision.

We as Christians have messed up, and I include myself in this. This weekend should have been a time where Christians were on their knees asking God to forgive America & forgive those that blasphemy God, not a weekend for bashing other people. We have done such a great job at taking America into our own hands & pushing God out of every single area. Biblically, homosexuality is a sin, and God hates sin, but God does not hate the sinners. God died for the sinners, so that they would be able to seek forgiveness & turn from their sin. He did all of that, because He loves the sinner.

I am guilty for forgetting about the sinner and only focusing on the sin. I am guilty for forgetting about the preparation that needs to take place before Jesus comes back. The end is closer each day, yet we sit on the side lines confessing sin to be wrong, but not encouraging people that there is another way. I think about all of the people who are not homosexuals, but fought Christians this past weekend. What are we doing to help those people understand. How many homosexuals have we gotten in touch with to share the gospel, never to bash them but instead to tell them of a loving God.

My God is Loving, Forgiving, Merciful, Graceful… and My God is Just.

Matthew 5:6-12 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

The purpose of us here on earth is to bring glory, praise & honor to God & to tell others about Him.

Have you done all you can do?