give me strength!

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The God Who lives forever is the Lord, the One Who made the ends of the earth. He will not become weak or tired. His understanding is too great for us to begin to know. He gives strength to the weak. And He gives power to him who has little strength.

- Isaiah 40:28-29 (NLV)

 

I’m exhausted.

I feel like I have been burning the candle at both ends and it’s only the 2^nd week of May!

Each time I think that I have things under control one more crazy thing pops up and I just feel myself crumbling.

I am certain that I am not the only one that feels this way, maybe not right this minute but at some point everyone feels overwhelmed.

While I cry out “I can’t do this” my husband lovingly reminds me that I can, I have and I will again, I have changed my wording to “I have lost the ability to can”.

All joking aside, we have the strength to do anything, we just need to find that strength and we find it when we reach out to God.

God does not become weak or tired, He understands what is making us fall.

He will give us the strength we need to persevere.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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troubles

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

- James 1:2-4

 

Everyday we hear of someone we know that is going through a rough time.

Sometimes that “someone” is us.

There are many kinds and sizes of trials out there that humans face, each person handles their trials differently.

One thing that I personally never say is “I know how you feel” because I may have gone through the exact same thing that someone else is going through but I do not know how they feel. 

My dad died when I was 15 years old so I do know how I felt growing up without a dad and how sad I am sometimes that he can’t share my successes with me but I don’t know who my 45 year old friend that lost her dad last month. 

My mother succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease in December but I really lost her twelve years before her death because of the disease.

I don’t even know how to explain my feelings when she passed into the arms of her Savior.

No matter how hard we want the situation to be the same each person feels their struggles differently.

Each situation is a test of faith, a chance for us to grow in our relationship with God.

Our troubles are hard but we need to remember that we are not alone and when we come out on the other side of the situation we are stronger because of our faith.   

 

#dailybreadbykitty

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1167248103736801

 

the end

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth.

- Job 19:25

 

The end.

Well that seems pretty final, doesn’t it? 
Some books have printed “the end” and then the next few pages there is more. 

I’ve seen movies that say “the end” and then the credits roll (and sometimes bloopers!).

So is it really the end after all?

I mean something else came after “the end”.

We have more to look forward to after “the end” because we have Jesus.

He lives and He will be there in the end and beyond.

It’s not the end after all.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1167248103736801

 

is it love?

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

— Romans 12:9

 

We use the word “love” a lot in our everyday lives.

We love coffee, we love the way a dress looks in the store, we love our car, we love cats (some of more than others).

I personally find that my heart is often not in it when I say, “I love it”, that it has become an automatic response in the world much like one says “fine, thank you” when another asks “how are you”. 

We need to stop faking and love with our whole hearts, even if that means letting go of the things that we think we love.

Coffee, clothes, cars and even cats can be gone in an instant and we are left with emptiness that can be quickly filled with evil.

That is not good at all.

Learn to be sincere, learn to love people, not things and above all cling to what is good.

God is good, cling to Him.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1167248103736801

yes, it is Star Wars day

May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

- 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

 

This is not your normal May the fourth be with you greeting.

No, this is something completely different!

In the past I have said “May the Spirit be with you” or even “May the Force of God be with you” but today is just different.

God’s Spirit is always with us, we know this because we feel Him every time the sun warms our face.

God’s force is always at work, we know this because we breathe without thinking about taking each breath.

God is an amazing Father no matter where we are in our walk with Him.

If we are babies, He holds us.

If we are toddlers, He protects us.

If we are teenagers, He leads us.

If we are adults, He walks beside us.

For at least today I hope you find power in His words, strength in His arms, comfort in His presence.

His force is what I want for all of you today.  

 

#dailybreadbykitty

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1167248103736801

a request

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of Him.

- 1 John 5:14-15

 

For the last 5 months I have been praying hard for something very specific, even asking others to pray on my behalf.

I’ve been in tears some days waiting for an answer.

I’m still waiting.

Yet I don’t feel like these prayers are not being answered or that He is ignoring me.

God knows what is best for me and for everyone really, He loves us, and He knows His plans for us.

I admit that waiting is hard, and I am heartbroken thinking that it may not end the way I want it to end, I may not get the answer I want.

It is all in God’s timing, and His will, we must be patient and wait for Him.

So, I’ll dry my tears and praise Him instead for the things that I do have, knowing that I’ll have my answer eventually.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1167248103736801 

rest and relaxation

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

- Matthew 11:28

 

Hello friends, I am back! 
Hubby and I took a vacation to celebrate our 25^thwedding anniversary (it was April 12^th), we figured that it was our “silver” anniversary so why not head to the “silver” state, Nevada? 
We saw a couple of shows, we rented a slingshot and went to Hoover Dam and the Valley of Fire and dodged the craziness that was the NFL draft on the Las Vegas strip. 
I did not break a leg. 
I did have one day where I was really sick, but it seemed to be a 24-hour bug (although I was very careful on eating the rest of the trip, for fear of relapse).

We came back and have been zipping around trying to shove a whole bunch of obligations and stuff into the weekend before returning to work today.

I’m not sure I feel rested.

From what I can see in the Bible, rest is very important and not only physical rest but mind and spirit too.

God rested – not because He was tired, but to set the standard for all of us!  
God rested and has told us to also rest. 

God desires rest for us because it does not come naturally to us. (this should be a direct hint to me, since I am told I don’t know how to stop . . . )

To rest, we must trust that God will take care of things for us, we must trust that if we take a day off, the world will not stop turning and things won’t completely fall apart.. (this would be good for me to acknowledge in my work environment too)

Through the years humans have become more tense and less able to relax.

Relaxing our grip on our own lives, careers, families, etc., and giving them over to God in faith is the best way to relax. (note to self: hear that? give it all to God!)
Remember that the ultimate rest is found in Christ.

He invites all who are “weary and burdened” to come to Him and cast our cares on Him.

It is only in Him that we find our complete rest—from the cares of the world, from the sadness we face, rest from the stress of our work, because He alone is holy and righteous.

Take a word of advice from the Father, and rest.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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