Focusontheheart

🧳🧳🧳𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲…

Today's inspiration comes from:
Experiencing the Heart of Jesus
by Max Lucado

Imagine yourself donning the literal pieces of luggage (all overpacked). You’re carrying a suitcase of guilt in one hand and a sack of discontent in the other. There’s a duffel bag of weariness slung over one shoulder and bag of grief on the other.

A backpack of doubt is strapped on your back.

Let that mental picture linger for a moment. The exhaustion. The stretched muscles. The strain on your cramped fingers and your aching back. Now, imagine dropping each piece. Feel the release. Take in a deep breath. Finally, you are free!

If we let Him, God will lighten our loads.

But how do we let Him? May I invite an old friend to show us?

The Twenty-third Psalm. You know how it starts:

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake. — Psalm 23:1–3

Does a more beloved psalm exist? Framed and hung in hospital halls, scratched on prison walls, quoted by the young, and whispered by the dying. In these lines sailors have found a harbor, the frightened have found a Father, and strugglers have found a friend. It’s been set to music in a hundred songs, translated into a thousand tongues, domiciled in a million hearts.

One of those hearts might be yours. What kinship do you feel with this psalm? Where do its verses transport you? To a fireside? Bedside? Graveside?

This passage is to the minister what balm is to the physician. I recently applied them to the heart of a dear friend. I was summoned to his house with the words, “the doctors aren’t giving him more than a few days.” I looked at him and understood. Face pale. Lips stretched and parched. Skin draping between bones like old umbrella cloth between spokes. The cancer had taken so much: his appetite, his strength, his days. But the cancer hadn’t touched his faith.

Pulling a chair to his bed and squeezing his hand, I whispered, “Bill, ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’” He rolled his head toward me as if to welcome the words. Reaching the fourth verse, fearful that he might not hear, I leaned forward until I was a couple of inches from his ear and said, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” He didn’t open his eyes, but he arched his brows. He didn’t speak, but his thin fingers curled around mine. I wondered if the Lord was helping him set down some luggage: the fear of dying.

Do you think God might use David’s psalm to lighten your load?

Traveling light means trusting God with the burdens that you were never intended to bear.

He wants to use you. But how can He use you if you are exhausted?
If we let Him, God will lighten our loads.
It reminds me of a time I was preparing for a jog but couldn’t decide what to wear. The sun was out, but the wind was chilly. The sky was clear, but the forecast said rain. Jacket or sweatshirt? The Boy Scout within me prevailed. I wore both.

I needed to stay in touch my kids, so I carried a cell phone. I worried that someone might steal my car, so I pocketed my keys. As a precaution against thirst, I brought along some drink money in a pouch. I looked more like a pack mule than a runner! Within half a mile, I was peeling off the jacket and hiding it in a bush. That kind of weight will slow you down.

What’s true in jogging is true in faith. God has a great race for you to run. Under His care, you will go where you’ve never been and serve in ways you’ve never dreamed. But you will first have to drop some stuff. After all, how can you share grace with others if you are full of guilt? How can you offer comfort to someone in need if you are disheartened? How can you lift someone else’s load if your arms are full with your own?

Have you ever considered the impact that excess baggage you are carrying has had on your relationships? We’ve made this point at our church by virtue of a drama.

A wedding is reenacted in which we hear the thoughts of the bride and groom. The groom enters, laden with luggage. A bag dangles from every appendage. And each bag is labeled: guilt, anger, arrogance, insecurities. This fellow is loaded. As he stands at the altar, the audience hears him thinking, Finally, a woman who will help me carry all my burdens. She’s so strong, so stable, so...

As his thoughts continue, hers begin. She enters, wearing a wedding gown but, like her fiancé, is covered with luggage. Pulling a hanging bag, shouldering a carry-on, hauling a makeup kit, paper sack — everything you could imagine and everything labeled. She has her own bags: prejudice, loneliness, disappointments. And her expectations? Just listen to what she is thinking: Just a few more minutes and I’ve got a husband. No more counselors. No more group sessions. So long, discouragement and worry. I won’t be seeing you anymore. He’s going to fix me.

They stand at the altar, lost in a mountain of luggage. They smile their way through the ceremony. But when given the invitation to kiss each other, they can’t. Their arms are so full of bags that they can’t embrace each other.

For the sake of the God you serve, travel light.
For the sake of those you love, travel light.
For the sake of your own joy, travel light.

There are certain weights in life you simply cannot carry. Your Lord is asking you to set them down and trust Him. He is the father at the baggage claim. When a dad sees his five-year-old son trying to drag the family trunk off the carousel, what does he say? The father will say to his son what God is saying to you.

“Set it down, child. I’ll carry that one.”

What do you say we take God up on His offer? We just might find ourselves traveling a little lighter.

By the way, I may have previously overstated my packing problems. (I don’t usually take snowshoes when I’m traveling.) But I can’t overstate God’s promise:

Throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon Him, for you are His personal concern. — 1 Peter 5:7 Phillips

Jesus invites you to drop the baggage you try to carry through life.
Give Him the burdens you were never intended to bear.
You cannot reach out to others if your hands are already full.
Take Jesus up on His offer and learn how to travel light.

𝙰𝚖 𝙸 𝚃𝚛𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐
𝚃𝚘 𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎
𝚄𝚗𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎?

Found a great download article from Proverbs 31 Ministries and I wanted to share the link for those who might find helpful too.

Heavenly Father,
You know how I wrestle between trusting You versus taking control. I need Your guidance as I seek to surrender it all to You. I want to trade the powerlessness of trying to control outcomes and people for the strength of surrender. I want to release my fears and replace them with a peaceful trust in You. I can't do this without You. In Jesus' name, amen.

Am I Trying To Control the Uncontrollable? Life is unexpected sometimes. We know this. And yet … we still have a driving sense inside of us that if we just know enough, worry enough, research enough, plan enough, arrange enough, talk things through enough, and stay ahead of things enough, we will be OK, our people will be safe, and life ca...

𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙧…..

𝟷 𝙿𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟺:𝟷𝟸-𝟷𝟹 𝚒𝚗 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝙱𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚢, “𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜, 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚝, 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚓𝚞𝚖𝚙 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙶𝚘𝚍 𝚒𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚓𝚘𝚋. 𝙸𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚍, 𝚋𝚎 𝚐𝚕𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚍. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚛𝚎𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜, 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚐𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚛.”

𝘞𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳.
Keep trusting - Keep the Faith

Excerpt from Heather Thompson Day

𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓢𝓲𝓰𝓱…..
𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭, 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘎𝘰𝘥-𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦.

𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯. 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦.

𝘕𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘯 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥; 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘴. 𝘏𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴.

𝘚𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘪𝘮? 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭, 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘶𝘵! 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴’ 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘵, 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 (𝘏𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘴 4:16).

𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘺. 𝘐 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴. 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦, 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘮 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘐𝘯 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴’ 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘯.

"𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚎 𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚗 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝙻𝚘𝚛𝚍; 𝚖𝚢 𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚢𝚘𝚞." 𝙿𝚜𝚊𝚕𝚖 𝟹𝟾:𝟿 (𝙽𝙸𝚅)

Excerpt from Proverbs 31 Ministries by Beth Knight. check it out…..
https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2024/08/09/your-sighing-is-a-symptom

Who Needs to Hear This from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young……..
𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚖𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚘𝚌𝚌𝚞𝚙𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍, 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝙼𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝙼𝚢 𝙽𝚊𝚖𝚎. . . . 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚜𝚔 𝙼𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚞𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍—𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝. 🤍🩵💙

𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗮𝘁/𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀.
It gets so hard to keep saying “God has a plan” and “God is good” when our human minds can’t comprehend how this terrible/hard season could ever be a part of a loving God’s plan for us. The idea that: God is a God of the Middle. That just maybe there is actually purpose This middle ground we all hate so much. Even in those moments when it didn’t feel like it, He is there. He walks through the hard with us because He’s a God of the middle.
He loves us way too much to have all the hard just be about getting to the other side. And it’s not just about that thing we so desperately want. He knows there is much to be learned in the middle.
He wants to refine us in the middle, to shape us in the middle, and teach us to trust Him even more. So that we are a little stronger when the hard comes again. And a little more equipped to stand tall the next time the enemy tried to take us out, because we already learned the last time that Jesus is with us always and He always wins in the end. He knows that every trial has the potential to increase our faith and that we can consider it all joy when we encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4). He is a God of the process, and He doesn’t cut corners.
I have no idea how long the middle ground will last for you but I’m praying that the next time you find yourself there, you can remember the promise that He is with us always and that helps you find a little extra strength to keep fighting.
Your breakthrough could be a whole lot closer than you think and the bravest thing you could ever do is to run to Jesus one more time.

Our Breath Back (Spontaneous Worship) - Amanda Cook | Bethel Music CLICK HERE for more spontaneous worship: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...Follow me on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abbalongtoyouTw...

IᗰᗩGIᑎᗩTIOᑎ✨
𝙶𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚍𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎, 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚒𝚝 𝚏𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚜𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎. 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚋𝚜 𝟺.𝟸𝟹

𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙜𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙜𝙞𝙛𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙃𝙚 𝙜𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣? 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚, 𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚 “𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.” 𝙉𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙩, 𝙬𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚.

𝙒𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣.
𝙒𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙪𝙥 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙤𝙪𝙩.
𝙒𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣 𝙖 𝙫𝙖𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚’𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙤 𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙩.

𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙚, 𝙬𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙂𝙤𝙙’𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨.

𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙚𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙪𝙨 𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙧. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙬𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙝. 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤’𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮, 𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 “𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤.” 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤’𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙣𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙮, 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛.

𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨. 𝙄𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙙. 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢, 𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙮𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙃𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤…𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.

𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙, 𝙄 𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙤𝙙. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮, 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙. 𝙄𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨. 𝙄𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙. 𝙐𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚. 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙖 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙.

Except from The Crowning Jewels blog.

“𝐼𝐹”

When doubt enters our hearts, it can shape our opinions if we don’t dispute it. Our opinions inform our beliefs, and our beliefs determine our actions.

Thankfully there’s hope in scriptures like Mark 9:14-29, which tells the story of a parent who, like me, struggled to believe.

This man's son suffered from muteness and life-threatening convulsions caused by a demon. Seeking help for his son, the father went to Jesus’ disciples, but when they couldn’t cast the demon out, uncertainty settled in.

Desperate, the father approached Jesus, saying, “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us” (Mark 9:22, ESV). Suspended in the air, the small yet significant two-letter word “if” exposed the father’s wavering faith in Jesus’ ability to heal.

Jesus repeated the father’s words, not to mock but to clarify: “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes” (Mark 9:23, ESV). (I hear Jesus chuckle “IF”)🤪

With words that echo my own, the father cried, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).

The father's admission of belief and unbelief is relatable to all of us enduring circumstances that weaken our faith. When we’ve reached the end of ourselves, whether caring for children or aging parents, wrestling with financial debt, walking through marriage difficulties, or facing other personal insecurities, we, too, may cry out to God, I believe; help my unbelief!

For those of us who believe in God yet still have doubtful moments, may these verses remind us that He is willing and waiting for us to acknowledge our struggles honestly, taking our “ifs” to Him. He knows how to ease our fears and wash away our worries. He understands our doubts.

He miraculously healed the demon-possessed son in Mark 9! I’m still waiting for my child's healing, but this story reminds me that God wants us to believe in His power to heal even in our waiting. His answers may take longer than we want and may look different from what we expect, but we know miracles do happen — even if we have to wait.

𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝙵𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛, 𝙸 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚎; 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎. 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚢 𝚍𝚘𝚞𝚋𝚝𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎 “𝚒𝚏𝚜” 𝙸’𝚖 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚐𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚘𝚍𝚊𝚢. 𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚖𝚢 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝, 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚏𝚊𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚝, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚠 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚊𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎. 𝙸𝚗 𝙹𝚎𝚜𝚞𝚜’ 𝙽𝚊𝚖𝚎, 𝙰𝚖𝚎𝚗.

Except from Todays Devotion Proverbs 31 Ministries

🏹wow
“When it feels like you've been held back, consider that maybe God has pulled you back like an arrow so He can release you into your next place of promise.”
Let’s press on my friends🏹

Morning Blessing: Sometimes things “feel true” that aren’t actually true. When you’ve struggled long in a particular area of life, it’s tempting to believe that you’re just circling the same mountain. But as you follow Jesus, He’ll faithfully lead you up the mountain. When old hurts surface and you wonder if you’ll ever heal, just remember this: you’re still standing, and you’re not the person you once were. God is in the process of redeeming your story. When it feels like you’ve been held back, consider that maybe God has pulled you back like an arrow so He can release you into your next place of promise. The story we tell ourselves matters. How we frame our hardships is of utmost importance in how we fare in battle. You are a part of the conquering army of the Most-High God. The devil will not have the last say. In fact, his ultimate defeat is certain, and it’s only a matter of time. May you have the courage to press on, dear one. In Jesus’ Name, press on.

James 1:12 (NLT) ~ God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

So thankful for our family♥️💚♥️💚

peace be with you friends….🤍

Peace! Be still! The Lord called out to rebuke the wind and calm the sea.

As I read those words in Mark 4:39, I couldn’t help but see Jesus calling out to me with those same three words.

Peace! Be Still!
To my heavy heart.
To my anxious soul.
To my fretting.
To my anger.
To my complaining.
To my wandering.
To my struggle for control.
To my overwhelming fear.

Peace! Be still! The Lord calls out to me. Over and over again.

With those three words, the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (Mark 4:39)

Could you use a great calm too, friend? Close your eyes, take a deep breath in and picture Jesus calling out to you; Peace! Be Still! Then, feel the great calm of Jesus pour over you. Open yourself up to who Jesus is and what He is willing to do for you. Remember the power He holds and the promises He keeps.

Nothing is too great for Jesus to rebuke and bring peace over.

Peace! Be Still, my friends.