Category Archives: Amazing God

Hope In Him!!!!

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Hope When Your Plans Get Interrupted

By Holley Gerth

Hope When Your Plans Get Interrupted

photo by photosteve1

photo by photosteve1

Sometimes life doesn’t turn out the way we think.

We face loss, bump up against a wall, wonder what in the world just happened.

It’s part of living here, in this fallen world.

Yet even in those moments we can find hope.

Not the kind that hopes for {because we all know that doesn’t always come true}.

But the kind that hopes in {because that’s what remains true no matter what}.

Hope in a God whose ways are higher than ours.

Hope in a future he promises he’s preparing for us.

Hope that even today’s rain can somehow how become tomorrow’s flowers.

I don’t know how it happens.

All I know is I’ve lived it.

Breathed it.

Clung to it in the night.

As long as we live, there is hope.

Even the darkest night leads to dawn–

to scandalous joy unexpected.

I love this post…

And Holley’s entire Heart to Heart Blog!!

Please check it out!!

Jeremiah 29:11

 “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’

declares the Lord,

‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope and a future.'”

Romans 12:12

“Be joyful in hope,

patient in affliction,

faithful in prayer.”

Romans 15:13

“May the God of hope

fill you with all joy and peace

as you trust in Him,

so that you may overflow with hope

by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

C. S. Lewis (On Hoping For Something More)

“Most people,

if they had really learned to look into their own hearts,

would know that they do want,

and want acutely,

something that cannot be had in this world.

There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you,

but they never quite keep their promise…”

Psalm 119:114

“You are my refuge and my shield;
    

I have put my hope in Your Word.”

Amen!

Yes, We Can!!

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Running around, round, round, round…

 

Lost in doubt, doubt, doubt…

  

How to stay true…

  

When the whole world’s against you?

  

But, the Spirit in you and me…

 

 Is the very thing that lets us say…

 

Yes, We Can!

 

We raise our hands…

 

Get up again!

 

They say we’ll never make it…

 

Tell ’em, tell ’em, again…

 

Yes, We Can!

 

Look around, round, round, round…

 

People knocked down, down, down…

 

Move to the power of love…

 

Take a hand, help somebody stand up!!

 

On our own…

 

We’re headed down a dead end road…

 

God is with us, so we say…

 

Yes, We Can!

 

Can’t take it…

 

Feeling alone?

 

 Together we can face it!

 

So here we go…

 

We’ll let ’em know…

 

We’ll let the whole world know!

 

 Yes, We Can!

 

Not too young…

 

Not too weak…

 

We Can Do It!

  

Yes, We Can!!

 

 John 14:16-17

 

“And I will ask the Father,

 

and He will give you another advocate

 

to help you and be with you forever— 

 

 the Spirit of truth.

 

The world cannot accept Him,

 

because it neither sees Him nor knows Him.

 

But you know Him,

 

for He lives with you

 

and will be in you.”

 

Amen!!

Abandon All For Him!!

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Tired???

Dry???

There’s so much more to life!

A higher calling…

Makes your life count with every breath!

Live with abandon

Give it all…

Every part of your heart to Jesus…

Place it His  Hands…

Drop everything to follow Him…

Hold on!

Don’t look back!!

Abandon the old…

Embrace the new!!!!

2 Corinthians 5:17

“Therefore,

if anyone is in Christ,

the new creation has come:

The old has gone,

the new is here!

Yes!

I’ll live with abandon, Jesus!!

For You!!

Sing And Dance To This Song Every Day!!!!

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According to Bryan Duncan, his song, I See You is a grateful acknowledgement of God’s presence and participation in our lives.

“My wife does this thing throughout the day,” says Bryan Duncan.  “She’ll be working at something and out of the blue she’ll just stop, point to the sky and say ‘I see you!’  I had to smile because it is such a great example of being in the moment with God.  I don’t see that kind of acknowledgement of God very often.  It seemed like the perfect idea for a song.  The expression ‘I See You Moment’ is used to recognize a specific example of God at work.  Saying, that’s an ‘I See You Moment’ is a way of recognizing God’s blessing, redirection or other involvement in your situation.”

Amen!!!

I see You watching over me, every day another way
That I can see Your love
I see You lookin’ out for me, all I wanna do is
Thank You!  Thank You!
Under a bridge, or up on a mountain
See You in everything, like stars I’m countin’
On streets of gold, or just mud and gravel
You’re always with me on this road I travel
The straight and narrow goes up and down
There ain’t a place for me to turn around in
But I can make it ’cause You’re waving me through
I see the signs that I do, and I do, I find You
I see You watching over me every day another way
That I can see Your love
I see You lookin’ out for me, all I wanna do is
Thank You!  Thank You!
That’s right
Thank You!  Thank You!
Help I can use, or none to speak of
No way I’m gonna lose, I trust in Your love
Whatever comes I’d rather face it all together
I see a clue, know it’s You, and I remember
I see You watching over me, every day another way
That I can see Your love
I see You lookin’ out for me, all I wanna do is
Thank You!  Thank You!
Thank You!  Thank You!
(In ways no one can see) Ways no one can see
(To show no one but me) Show no one but me
(Remind me that you’re here) Remind me, Lord
When all things are possible, but not so easy
I see You watching over me, every day another way
That I can see Your love
I see You lookin’ out for me, all I wanna do is
Thank You!  Thank You!
I see You watching over me, every day another way
That I can see Your love
I see You lookin’ out for me, all I wanna do is
Thank You!  Thank You!
I see You watching over me, every day another way
That I can see Your love
I see You lookin’ out for me, all I wanna do is
Thank You!  Thank You!
Thank You!  Thank You!
Thank You!  Thank You!
Thank You!  Thank You!
Thank You!!

Psalm 121:7

“The Lord will keep you from all harm—    

He will watch over your life;

 The Lord will watch over your coming and going    

Both now and forevermore”

Yes, Lord, I See You!!!
Every day…
In every way!!

It’s Time To…

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“Enjoy Your Freedom” by Holley Gerth

http://holleygerth.com/

photo by n11a11m

photo by n11a11m

For many years, freedom sat like an unopened present on the shelf of my heart. I looked at it a bit suspiciously. From time to time, I’d pick it up and shake it so I could try to figure out what was inside. But I never had the courage to open it.

Then God said it was time. He placed my hands on that box, helped me untie the ribbon, peel back the paper, and lift the lid.

And here’s what freedom looks like to me this summer:

Being able to laugh out loud.

Friends who accept me as I am, mess and all.

Sitting on the back porch watching fireflies.

A nap.

Knowing I can make mistakes and then try again.

Grace spread out like a picnic and God handing me a paper plate.

Freedom given is not complete. It’s only when we receive it, enjoy it, give thanks for it that becomes fully ours.

The fourth of July in America is a day for celebrating freedom–please do.

And let’s also celebrate the freedom God has given us every other day too.

Open the gift and enjoy what has always been yours, friend!

XOXO

Holley

***Now this is a great post! 

Thank you for permission to reblog this, Holley!

Check out Holley’s entire blog!!

“Heart to Heart with Holley”

Best-selling author of You’re Already Amazing

Who also partner’s with DaySpring

What does freedom mean to you???

Open your gift of freedom from God!!

And Enjoy!!!

Amen!

Galatians 3:22

“But the Scriptures declare

that we are all prisoners of sin,

so we receive God’s promise of freedom

only by believing in Jesus Christ.”

Don’t Stress Out!!

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Happy 4th of July!!

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Our Crazy Siberian and I are just chillin’ today!

While hubby’s watching the Yankee game…

And our son’s out of town…

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Our Precious Little Girl’s been feeling better lately…

And is actually letting me type this post!

Yipee!!

See?

She doesn’t look stressed out! 

Ha!

I received this e-mail this morning!

“A Great Lesson on Stress

(author unknown)

A young lady confidently walked around the room…

While leading and explaining stress management to an audience…

With a raised glass of water…

Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question…

“Half empty???

 Or half full???”

She fooled them all…

“How heavy is this glass of water?”

She inquired with a smile…

Answers that were called out…

 Ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz…

She replied…

“The absolute weight doesn’t matter…

It depends on how long I hold it…. 

If I hold it for a minute…

 That’s not a problem… 

If I hold it for an hour…

I’ll have an ache in my arm…. 

If I hold it for a day…

I’ll have to call an ambulance… 

In each case it’s the same weight…

But the longer I hold it…

The heavier it becomes!”

She continued…

“And that’s the way it is with stress… 

If we carry our burdens all the time…

 Sooner or later,

As the burden becomes increasingly heavy…

We won’t be able to carry on!”

Here’s where I strongly disagree…

With the rest of this…

 Worldly attitude!!

As she continues…

“As with the glass of water…

You have to put it down for a while…

And rest before holding it again…

When we’re refreshed…

We can carry on with the burden…

Holding stress longer…

And better each time practiced…

So, as early in the evening as you can…

Put all your burdens down… 

Don’t carry them through the evening…

 And into the night…

Pick them up tomorrow.”

But as a Christian,

I must say,

“Lay those burdens down at the feet of Jesus,

And NEVER pick them up again!!! 

Wake up refreshed!!”

Psalm 68:19

“Praise be to the Lord,

to God our Savior,

who daily bears our burdens.”

Matthew 6:34b

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,

for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to Me,

all you who are weary and burdened,

and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you

and learn from Me,

for I am gentle and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

For My yoke is easy

and My burden is light.”

Psalm 55:22

“Cast your cares on the Lord

and He will sustain you;

He will never let

the righteous be shaken.”

1 Peter 5:7

“Cast all your anxiety on Him

because He cares for you.”

Psalm 121:1-2

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

where does my help come from

My help comes from the Lord,

 the Maker of Heaven and earth.”

I John 5:3

“In fact,

this is love for God:

to keep His commands.

And His commands are not burdensome,

Savor these verses…

Let’s NOT stress out!!

Give it ALL to God…

He can handle it…

And leave us stress-free!!

Amen!

“To Believe”

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“And my God will meet all your needs

according to the riches of His glory

 in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Take a moment…

Listen to…

This beautiful voice…

With this beautiful message…

Allow yourself…

To Believe!

http://video.staged.com/preacher/jackie_evancho_to_believe

“He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

 they will walk and not be faint.”

Seek Out The Life-Giving Water!!

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And Bring Your Whole Family With You!!!

Job 5:10

“Who gives rain upon the earth

and sends waters upon the fields.”

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John 4:14

“…but whoever drinks the water I give them

will never thirst.

Indeed, the water I give them

will become in them

a spring of water

welling up to eternal life.”

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Proverbs 18:4

The words of the mouth are deep waters,

 but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.”

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John 7:38

“Whoever believes in Me,

as Scripture has said,

rivers of living water

will flow from within them.”

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Proverbs 22:6

“Direct your children onto the right path,

and when they are older,

they will not leave it.”

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Acts 18:8

“…and everyone in his household believed in the Lord…”

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Ephesians 6:1–2

“Children,

obey your parents in the Lord,

for this is right.

‘Honor your father and mother’

(this is the first commandment with a promise)…”

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Revelation 7:17

“For the Lamb

at the center of the throne

will be their shepherd;

He will lead them to springs of living water.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

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Revelation 22:17

“The Spirit and the bride say,

‘Come!’

And let the one who hears say,

‘Come!’

Let the one who is thirsty come;

and let the one who wishes

take the free gift of the water of life.”

Ahhhhh…

So Refreshing!!!

Shake, Shake, Shake!! Can You Be Shaken???

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“Truly He is my Rock and my Salvation;

He is my fortress,

I will not be shaken.”

Psalm 62:6

Lord, it’s Your way and not our own…

Our minds are set on nothing less…

Than You and You alone…

We will not be moved!

We will trust in You…

And we won’t be shaken!

Recognize the enemy trying to shake you…

Don’t be shaken! 

Or moved!

Ephesians 6:10-18

“Finally,

be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.

Put on the full armor of God,

so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,

but against the rulers,

against the authorities,

against the powers of this dark world

and against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly realms.

Therefore put on the full armor of God,

so that when the day of evil comes,

you may be able to stand your ground,

and after you have done everything,

to stand.

Stand firm then,

with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,

with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

and with your feet fitted with the readiness

that comes from the gospel of peace.

In addition to all this,

take up the shield of faith,

with which you can extinguish

all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Take the helmet of salvation

and the sword of the Spirit,

which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit

on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

With this in mind, be alert

and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

Stand!!

My hope is in You Lord…

I won’t be shaken!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql6FgBEsiC4

“Through Christ

you have come to trust in God.

And you have placed your faith and hope in God

because He raised Christ from the dead

and gave Him great glory.”

1 Peter 1:21

The hand I hold…

Won’t let me go!

I will stumble…

I will fall down…

But I will not be moved!

I will make mistakes…

I will face heartache…

But I will not be moved!

On Christ, the Solid Rock…

I stand!

All other ground is sinking sand!

I will not be moved!

Hymn-The Solid Rock

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Words:  Edward Mote, circa 1834; first appeared in Mote’s Hymns of Praise, 1836.
Music: Solid Rock, William B. Bradbury, 1863

Matthew 7:25-26

The rain came down,

 

the streams rose,

 

and the winds blew

 

and beat against that house;

 

yet it did not fall,

 

because it had its foundation on the rock.

 

But everyone who hears these words of mine

 

and does not put them into practice

 

is like a foolish man

 

who built his house on sand.”

 

Remain in Christ…

 

Stand on the Rock…

 

Stand firm...

 

Don’t be moved or shaken!

We’re Restless! God’s Relentless!!

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So many restless souls looking for God…

Humans seeking rest for the soul…

Restless…

Restless without God…

And restless for God…

Even with so many other people around…

“I think of a time…

That we are not living in now…

When injustice will cease…

When hatred will be overcome with love…

When grace will reign supreme!

And I get restless for that final course…

Are you restless with me, my friends?”

-Jon Foreman from Switchfoot at Heaven Fest 2012-

Isaiah 11:6-9

“The wolf will live with the lamb,  

the leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling together;  

and a little child will lead them.

The cow will feed with the bear,  

their young will lie down together,  

and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

 The infant will play near the cobra’s den,  

and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.

They will neither harm nor destroy on all my Holy mountain,

for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord   

as the waters cover the sea.”

 http://www.intouch.org/god

Pastor Charles Stanley

“Deep down,

there’s a place within each of us

that is made for one thing—

a relationship with God.

No matter how hard we try to cover it up

or fill it with something else,

we will never be satisfied.

Our hearts will remain restless

until they find their home with God.

That deep, hidden part of you is there,

even if you haven’t realized it until now.”

Jesus offers rest to all who will come to Him.

Matthew 11:28-29

“Come to Me,

all you who are weary and burdened,

and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you

and learn from Me,

for I am gentle and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.”

God wants us to search for Him while He can be found.

James 4:8

Come near to God

and He will come near to you…”

In searching and praying to know the truth about Him…

He allows Himself to be manifest to you.

James 1:5-7

“So, if any one of you is lacking in wisdom,

let him keep on asking God,

for He gives generously to all

and without reproaching;

and it will be given him.

But let him keep on asking in faith,

not doubting at all,

for he who doubts

is like a wave of the sea

driven by the wind and blown about.

In fact,

let not that man suppose

that he will receive anything from Jehovah;”

We’re restless to find God…

We’re restless for Him to come back for us!

   God’s relentless to find us!

He won’t give up!

Song of Solomon 8:6

“Set Me as a seal upon your heart,

as a seal upon your arm,

for love is strong as death,

jealousy is fierce as the grave.

It’s flashes are flashes of fire,

the very flame of the Lord.”

God’s relentless in pursuing you…

‘Til He has all of you…

Not just a part…

Don’t stay restless…

Relentlessly pursue Him…

“Til you have all of Him!

You won’t relent

Until You have it all

My heart is Yours

I’ll set You as a seal upon my heart

As a seal upon my arm

For there is love that is as strong as death

Jealousy demanding as the grave

And many waters cannot quench this love

Come be the fire inside of me

Come be the flame upon my heart

Come be the fire inside of me

Until You and I are one

John 4:23

“Yet a time is coming

and has now come

when the true worshipers

will worship the Father

in the Spirit and in truth,

for they are the kind of worshipers

the Father seeks.

God is Spirit,

and His worshipers

must worship in the Spirit

and in truth.”

2 Chronicles 16:9

“For the eyes of the Lord

range throughout the earth

to strengthen those

whose hearts are fully committed to Him…”

Relentless!

Luke 15:3-7

“Then Jesus told them this parable:

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep

and loses one of them.

Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country

and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

And when he finds it,

he joyfully puts it on his shoulders

and goes home.

Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says,

‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in Heaven

over one sinner who repents

than over ninety-nine righteous persons

who do not need to repent.'”

Luke 15:8-10

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins

and loses one.

Doesn’t she light a lamp,

sweep the house

and search carefully until she finds it?

And when she finds it,

she calls her friends and neighbors together and says,

‘Rejoice with me;

I have found my lost coin.’

In the same way, I tell you,

there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God

over one sinner who repents.’”

Your God is relentless for you!!