i'm a child

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 

- John 8:36

Did you know that we are all children of God? 

That we are sons and daughters of the one true King? 

Ya’all, how can we turn our backs on that?  

Song reference! 

Who am I that the highest King
Would welcome me?
I was lost but He brought me in
Oh His love for me
Oh His love for me

Who the Son sets free
Oh is free indeed
I'm a child of God
Yes I am

Free at last, He has ransomed me
His grace runs deep
While I was a slave to sin
Jesus died for me
Yes He died for me

Who the Son sets free
Oh is free indeed
I'm a child of God
Yes I am
In my Father's house
There's a place for me
I'm a child of God
Yes I am

I am chosen
Not forsaken
I am who You say I am
You are for me
Not against me
I am who You say I am

I am chosen
Not forsaken
I am who You say I am
You are for me
Not against me
I am who You say I am
I am who You say I am

Who the Son sets free
Oh is free indeed
I'm a child of God
Yes I am
In my Father's house
There's a place for me
I'm a child of God
Yes I am

I am proud to say that I am a child of God.

can you hear?

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

- Romans 10:17

Why do we go to church every Sunday? 

Why do we read the Bible? 

Who needs to hear this stuff over and over? 

We do.  

If you are human (and I am assuming that you are), you need to hear things seven times in order to take action – it’s an old marketing saying, that if you want people to buy something, they have to hear about it seven times. 

I’ll go with seven because it is mentioned several times in the Bible, so just like everything else, when something is repeated, it’s time to pay attention! 

As your faith grows, you have to nurture it, and to nurture it, you have to hear it, read it and experience it. 

Go pick up your Bible and read. You might learn something new. 

coming home

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. 

- Joel 2:12-13

The first thing I thought when I read this verse is “I’m coming home”.

There is nothing like coming home, your home is welcoming and warm, or like for me, when I am at my in-laws’ house, I feel like I am home. 

There has been a lot of loss in my life recently, friends and loved ones have had to say goodbye to people they cherish.

Those people, while we miss them on earth, they were able to go to their Heavenly home with the Father.

God asks us to come home to Him, no matter what we have done, we just ask and He is willing to love us. 

That is worth coming home.  

how can i be strong?

I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, For You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities,

 - Psalm 31:7

There are days when I don’t feel like I can put a verse out there for the world to read, today is one of those days.

I try to keep my blog encouraging, a little bit of happiness on a bad day. 

But sometimes I just can’t.

Sometimes, I feel like my world is really coming apart.

Sometimes, I feel like God isn’t listening to my cry. 

I turn to music a lot and this one, well, it hits me in the feels. 

They say sometimes you win some
Sometimes you lose some
And right now, right now I'm losing bad
I've stood on this stage night after night
Reminding the broken it'll be alright
But right now, oh right now I just can't

It's easy to sing
When there's nothing to bring me down
But what will I say
When I'm held to the flame
Like I am right now

I know You're able and I know You can
Save through the fire with Your mighty hand
But even if You don't
My hope is You alone

They say it only takes a little faith
To move a mountain
Well good thing
A little faith is all I have, right now
But God, when You choose
To leave mountains unmovable
Oh give me the strength to be able to sing
It is well with my soul

I know You're able and I know You can
Save through the fire with Your mighty hand
But even if You don't
My hope is You alone
I know the sorrow, and I know the hurt
Would all go away if You'd just say the word
But even if You don't
My hope is You alone

You've been faithful, You've been good
All of my days
Jesus, I will cling to You
Come what may
'Cause I know You're able
I know You can

I know You're able and I know You can
Save through the fire with Your mighty hand
But even if You don't
My hope is You alone
I know the sorrow, I know the hurt
Would all go away if You'd just say the word
But even if You don't
My hope is You alone

It is well with my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul

No matter what I am going through, God is there, no matter how hard it is for me to see Him.

Maybe what I think is His silence, is really Him waiting for me to listen.  

hold on

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

- Philippians 4:6

It’s been a rough couple of weeks.

Ok, realistically, it has been a rough 7 months. 

Things have been more than a little challenging. 

It is hard to let go of all the worry and anxiety we face every day. 

Song reference! 

Hold it all together
Everybody needs you strong
But life hits you out of nowhere
And barely leaves you holding on

And when you're tired of fighting
Chained by your control
There's freedom in surrender
Lay it down and let it go

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

If your eyes are on the storm
You'll wonder if I love you still
But if your eyes are on the cross
You'll know I always have and I always will

And not a tear is wasted
In time, you'll understand
I'm painting beauty with the ashes
Your life is in My hands

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

Lift your hands, lift your eyes
In the storm is where you'll find Me
And where you are, I'll hold your heart
I'll hold your heart
Come to Me, find your rest
In the arms of the God who won't let go

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
(Stop holding on and just be held)
Just be held, just be held
Just be held, just be held

God wants us to come to Him when we are hurting, tired, and lost. 

Maybe in His arms, we can find peace. 

perfect love

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

- 1 John 4:18

God’s love is perfect, He is an awesome, powerful God, so full of compassion and forgiveness, you can’t for a moment realize how big His love is for us! 

Song reference! 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I'm caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won't turn back
I know You are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We'll live to know You here on the earth

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me
You never let, You never let go
You never let go of me

Don’t be afraid to love Him with all your heart, because He loves you so much.  

He is there for you always and His love is truly perfect. 

goodness

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

- Philippians 4:8

It is so easy to get lost in the swirling abyss of negativity, especially right now with all the craziness going on in this world.

It is sad how the “feel good” stories don’t get nearly the press as the evil and horrible stories, and we gloss over the good things while talking for hours about the bad. 

Perhaps it is time to examine our hearts, see if there is a blackness that we need to focus on removing. 

Perhaps we find something that is worth dwelling on because it is good, noble, admirable. 

You might be surprised at how your outlook changes when you focus on the positive. 

s l o w

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

- James 1:19

I have a very quick temper. 

It is not something I am proud of, but sometimes I feel myself going from zero to angry in 2.5 seconds. 

Being slow to speak does not mean the way you speak, it means how quickly. 

Your reaction to a situation can make or break your reputation, and that reputation can sometimes cost you, a raise or promotion that was in your grasp can be quickly ripped away if you react poorly. 

Listen. 

Consider. 

Then speak, kind words, never angry words. 

You’ll get a lot further in life.  

i'm wrong

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.  Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.

- Proverbs 28:13-14

Oh it is hard for me to admit that I am wrong sometimes. 

I can find fault in lots of people but most times I am blind to my own mistakes. 

Often I find myself having an argument with someone and I am 100% certain that I am right and they are wrong, only to find out later that my 100% I more like 1% and they were actually a lot more right than I gave them credit for. 

Admitting my wrongness is even harder, but it ruins the relationship if I don’t. 

I’m pretty sure that I am not alone in this. 

I challenge you to find someone that you need to forgive and have that conversation sooner rather than later.

creatures of habit

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

- Romans 12:2

I am a creature of habit.

I basically do the same routine every day. 

It’s been said that a person has to repeat the same act somewhere between 18 and 264 days to form a habit. 

Sometimes we don’t even recognize that what we are doing isn’t a positive thing.

God tells us not to conform to the pattern of this world, but it seems that humans are lemmings and we start to follow everyone off the cliff. 

What do you do if the habit you are getting into is not a good habit at all? 

According to the Bible, we must renew our minds, meaning we need to recognize that something in us needs to change, and then turn to Christ to help you break the chains of the bad habit. 

I smoked cigarettes for 27 years, I quit in 2008. 

If I can change that horrible unhealthy habit, I believe I can do anything with God’s help. 

love

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

- 1 Peter 4:8

Valentine’s day is annoying to a lot of people. 

I’ve heard it called “single’s awareness day” by many of my friends. 

I had one friend tell me once that she hates that day because it reminds her that she is not loved. 

Nothing could be further from the truth. 

You are loved, you are loved by a King, no less.

And, if people follow His word, you are loved by many.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t get flowers, candy or jewelry, because you have a much better gift from Him. 

And you are always loved.   

it's ok

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

- Romans 8:18

We have all been through a lot in our time here on earth.

Some have had more struggles, some have had a harder time dealing with their struggles, but if anyone tells you they have never once struggled, well I think they are not telling the whole truth.  

We each have a brokenness, we’ve all experienced some sort of rejection. 

Song reference! 

If I didn't know what it hurt like to be broken

Then how would I know what it feels like to be whole

If I didn't know what it cost like to be rejected

Then I wouldn't know that Your love coming home

Maybe it's ok if I'm not ok

'Cause the One who holds the world is holding onto me

Maybe it's all right if I'm not all right

'Cause the One who holds the stars is holding my whole life

If I didn't know what it looks like to be dirty

Then I wouldn't know what it feels like to be clean

And if all of my shame hadn't drove me to hide in the shadows

Then I wouldn't know the beauty of being free

Maybe it's ok if I'm not ok

'Cause the One who holds the world is holding onto me

Maybe it's all right if I'm not all right

'Cause the One who holds the stars is holding my whole life

Father, let Your kingdom come, let Your will be done

Here in my heart as in Heaven

Father, let Your kingdom come, let Your will be done

Here in my heart as in Heaven, oh!

Maybe it's ok if I'm not ok

'Cause the One who holds the world is holding onto me

Maybe it's all right if I'm not all right

'Cause the One who holds the stars is holding my whole life

Now I'm alive in You

The best that I deserved

Now I'm alive and I can see You in everything

Maybe it's ok if I'm not ok  

You see, that is the glory of our Father, He loves us, through our brokenness, our rejection, when we are dirty and hiding, He loves us and will bring us through, holding us up through the pain. 

It’s ok, we don’t carry our burdens alone when we are with Him.  

time to move

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 

- Philippians 3:13-14

I am pretty confident in saying that each of us has a point in our lives when we simply cannot look back any more.

We come to a place where we just have to stop dwelling on the past and move forward with our lives.  

Song reference! 

How did we get here?
All castaway on a lonely shore
I can see in your eyes, dear
It's hard to take for a moment more
We've got to

Burn the ships, cut the ties
Send a flare into the night
Say a prayer, turn the tide
Dry your tears and wave goodbye

Step into a new day
We can rise up from the dust and walk away
We can dance upon our heartache, yeah
So light a match, leave the past, burn the ships
And don't you look back

Don't let it arrest you
This fear is fear of fallin' again
And if you need a refuge
I will be right here until the end
Oh, it's time to

Burn the ships, cut the ties
Send a flare into the night
Say a prayer, turn the tide
Dry your tears and wave goodbye

Step into a new day
We can rise up from the dust and walk away
We can dance upon our heartache, yeah
So light a match, leave the past, burn the ships
And don't you look back

So long to shame, walk through the sorrow
Out of the fire into tomorrow
So flush the pills, face the fear
Feel the wave disappear
We're comin' clear, we're born again
Our hopeful lungs can breathe again
Oh, we can breathe again

Step into a new day
We can rise up from the dust and walk away
We can dance upon our heartache, yeah
So light a match, leave the past, burn the ships
And step into a new day
We can rise up from the dust and walk away
We can dance upon our heartache, yeah
So light a match, leave the past, burn the ships
And don't you look back

And don't you look back
And don't you look back

What is holding you back?

It really is time to step into a new day – no retreating, move forward. 

my weapon

At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.

- 2 Chronicles 20:22 (NLT)

How many times did praising the Lord bring down an enemy?

Obviously 2 Chronicles 20:22, but also see Joshua 6:20 (the walls of Jericho), and Acts 16:25-40 (Paul and Silias in jail). 

My weapon is a melody . . .  song reference!! 

I raise a hallelujah, in the presence of my enemies

I raise a hallelujah, louder than the unbelief

I raise a hallelujah, my weapon is a melody

I raise a hallelujah, heaven comes to fight for me

I'm gonna sing, in the middle of the storm

Louder and louder, you're gonna hear my praises roar

Up from the ashes, hope will arise

Death is defeated, the King is alive!

I raise a hallelujah, with everything inside of me

I raise a hallelujah, I will watch the darkness flee

I raise a hallelujah, in the middle of the mystery

I raise a hallelujah, fear you lost your hold on me!

I'm gonna sing, in the middle of the storm

Louder and louder, you're gonna hear my praises roar

Up from the ashes, hope will arise

Death is defeated, the King is alive!

Sing a little louder (In the presence of my enemies)

Sing a little louder (Louder than the unbelief)

Sing a little louder (My weapon is a melody)

Sing a little louder (Heaven comes to fight for me)

Sing a little louder (In the presence of my enemies)

Sing a little louder (Louder than the unbelief)

Sing a little louder (My weapon is a melody)

Sing a little louder (Heaven comes to fight for me)

Sing a little louder!

I'm gonna sing, in the middle of the storm

Louder and louder, you're gonna hear my praises roar

Up from the ashes, hope will arise

Death is defeated, the King is alive!

My weapon is indeed a melody – every time my heart is broken and I sing, the devil shrinks back from what he is trying to do. 

Every time that we sing because we are thankful, the devil loses. 

How can anyone doubt that our praise is heard?

almost home

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

- John 14:1-4

January was a tough month for many of my friends. 

My friends lost sons, daughters, moms, dads, brothers, sisters and grandparents.

All I could do is pray for them, and hug them if they are near. 

Mercy Me released a song a few months ago, and the lyrics kind of hit me in the feels, so I looked up the meaning.

The songwriter said that he was having a conversation with a pastor friend of his, they had been friends for like 25 years, and was a youth pastor back then. 

The pastor was talking about how he’s had a lot of friends that he’s done life with for a long time and they’ve passed from cancer or other illnesses. He said he never dreamed that he would outlive some of his dearest friends and mentors and do their funerals. 

Ok, here it is, song reference: 

Are you disappointed?

Are you desperate for help?

You know what it's like to be tired

And only a shell of yourself

Well you start to believe

You don't have what it takes

'Cause it's all you can do

Just to move, much less finish the race

But don't forget what lies ahead

Almost home

Brother, it won't be long

Soon all your burdens will be gone

With all your strength

Sister, run wild, run free

Hold up your head

Keep pressing on

We are almost home

Well this road will be hard

But we win in the end

Simply because of Jesus in us

It's not if, but when

So take joy in the journey

Even when it feels long

Oh find strength in each step

Knowing heaven is cheering you on

We are almost home

Brother, it won't be long

Soon all your burdens will be gone

With all your strength

Sister, run wild, run free

Hold up your head

Keep pressing on

We are almost home

Almost home

Almost home

I know that the cross has brought heaven to us

But make no mistake, there's still more to come

When our flesh and our bone are no longer between

Where we are right now and where we're meant to be

When all that's been lost is made whole again

When these tears and this pain no longer exist

No more walking, we're running as fast as we can

Consider this our second wind

Almost home

Brother, it won't be long

Soon all your burdens will be gone

With all your strength

Sister, run wild, run free

Hold up your head

Keep pressing on

We are almost home

Almost home

Almost home

We are almost home

Almost home

Almost home

We are almost home

Almost home.

Ya’all, we will see our Father, we will celebrate with Him in Heaven, and our family and friends will be there to welcome us. 

We are almost home.