 Photo by Rod Long on Unsplash I must share something with you today—there is nothing, absolutely nothing in this world more freeing than praying about your problems and then handing them over to our Father God to take care of.
I am finally in a place in my life where I can do this—well, 95 percent of the way there! It is the most amazing and peaceful feeling there is. Just being able to put your full trust in God and knowing that He will take care of you no matter what is so liberating. It is a like a heavy weight has been lifted from your chest and you can breathe again. I can’t think of any other way to describe it. To be clear, this doesn’t mean that we can simply pray and then sit by and do nothing. We can’t just pray and then hang out on our couch and watch TV. We must do whatever it is that the Holy Spirit calls us to do. We must continue to spend quality time with God each day in prayer and by reading His Word. We must continue to grow in our spiritual lives and lead a life that is pleasing to God. We must fight the good fight. We must put our trust, hope, and faith in Him. There is, however, one thing we can stop doing, and that is worrying! There are at least 30 different Bible verses that tell us not to worry or be afraid about anything. I think that God wants us to take all of these to heart. (Otherwise, why mention it so many times?) I find Matthew 6:25-34 is especially reassuring: Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you-you of little faith? So, do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. There is so much peace to be found in the Word of God. And, there is an even greater, more profound peace to be found when you hand your life over to Jesus and have a true relationship with Him. We all tend to make life so much more complicated than it should be or needs to be. Do yourself a favor and let God handle everything. Let Him take control. Be free.
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 Photo by gabrielle cole on Unsplash Thanks to Thanksgiving being in November, November has become known as the month for thankfulness. As I posted last year, One Day Isn’t Enough to be thankful. I think now is the perfect time to remind each of you, and myself as well, that having an attitude of gratitude every day is vitally important for our emotional well-being and general overall health.
Being grateful is defined as “warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful.” As we grow in our spiritual lives, and realize how powerful and transformative gratitude is, we will embrace all it has to offer with arms open wide. Every experience we have, every situation we face, no matter how seemingly good or bad, is an opportunity to look for things to be grateful for. In every situation, a blessing can be found. Oftentimes, these blessings can only be found as we look back. Retrospectively looking back allows us to find hidden gems that we couldn’t see at the time—if we only take some time to search for them carefully. I know that in my own life, I have repeatedly found this to be true. Every time this happens I think of the “beauty from ashes” Bible verse. (See Isaiah 61: 1-3) When we have an attitude of gratitude about everything in our lives, it will change our perspective. We shift. We grow. And, ultimately, we will transform. And, that my friends, is exactly what God wants us to do. It benefits not only us, but everyone around us as well. When we start looking at our lives through the eyes of gratitude, it can greatly change our views. All those little annoyances that drive us crazy every day, all those petty, insignificant jabs that life throws at us on a day-to-day basis, they can be gone in the blink of an eye. How? Gratitude! It is the way in which we can overcome all these things and more. If you do some research online, you will find numerous scientific studies have documented a multitude of benefits come from practicing gratitude. Being grateful increases joy, pleasure, and optimism, as well as reduces anxiety and depression. When we are grateful, our physical health improves; our blood pressure lowers, our immune system strengthens, and our symptoms of illness are reduced. Grateful people sleep better. (And, who doesn’t want that??) They get more sleep, spend less time awake before falling asleep, and wake up feeling more rested. If you want to sleep more soundly, this is the perfect opportunity to spend good quality time in prayer, thanking God for all your blessings. Having a grateful attitude bolsters relationships. It lets us feel closer and better connected to our family, friends, and even strangers. It has been proven that when partners feel and express their gratitude for each other, they become more satisfied with their relationships. When we are grateful, something magical happens. We become more loving, compassionate, gracious, helpful, and generous. In essence, we become more like Jesus. His love and light shines through us for others to see. And, then a domino effect starts to take place. When others see, and sense our gratitude and the joy and contentment it brings, they want to be like that too. It is such a beautiful way to live our lives and share the glory of the Lord with others. Don’t you want to try it? I leave you today with a quote from Richard Carlson: “Demonstrate gratitude for the simple things in life…a sunset, rain, insects, birds, children laughing, or a kind gesture…Appreciative people are happy; they see the beauty in life while others miss it.”  Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash Thank you, Lord
for the rain Thank you, Lord for the pain That allows me to grow in love and light Thank you, Lord for the trails I face Thank you, Lord for your redeeming grace That reminds me I am not alone in this fight Thank you, Lord for your guidance and your Word Thank you, Lord that your voice can be heard That all show me how to live each day and do what is right Thank you, Lord for the joy you bring Thank you, Lord for giving us your everything That we may reflect and be a shining star in your sight  Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash So, I have a confession to make. I am a very judgmental person. I am not exactly sure how I got this way, but, well, here I am. They say that knowing is half the battle, right? Well, I certainly hope so. And, knowing it, plus admitting it, well, that should count as at least 55 percent of the battle, don’t you think? I certainly hope so, for my sake!
Now, I must tell you that I try my best to NOT be judgmental of others in terms of how they look. I very much believe in getting to know people before I judge them—you know, that whole, “don’t judge a book by its cover” thing. And, I think overall, I do a fair job in that department. Where I have my trouble is after that; once I get to know people. That is where my “holier than thou” attitude creeps in. I especially have trouble with those around me who claim that they are Christians, yet act anything but. (Have you ever heard that saying, “perception is reality”? Well, I have always found that to be true in my life.) And, sadly, there are many times in my own life, where I know I don’t act very Christian-like either. This is when the word hypocrite blares through my mind. I know that there are many times where I am nothing, if not a hypocrite. And, I do NOT want to be this way any longer. I know it is not my place to judge. That is God's job. God calls us to LOVE each other, not judge each other. The Bible is chock full of verses that tell us how we are supposed to be. Below is a small sampling:
I want to change. I do NOT want to be a hypocrite. The sad part is, I know better. But, I have to ask, why is changing our ways so hard?? I mean, it isn’t just me, is it? I feel like the proverbial leopard who can’t change her spots. However, I have realized something that I must share with you. Change is possible. Actually, change is inevitable. But, how and when we change is up to us. As you grow spiritually in your relationship with Christ, your views change. Your perceptions change. Your thinking changes. Your inter-landscape changes. And, all of these things, and more change you as a person. But, you have want this change. And, you must work with the Holy Spirit to get to where you want to go. Also, it is important to note that all of this will take time. After all, patience is a virtue. (Just ask Job!) As you grow in your Christianity, you come to understand that everyone on this earth is loved and treasured by God. He sent His son, Jesus, to pay the ultimate price for not only my redemption, but yours as well. That is where our value comes from—not from our achievements or who *we* think we are. If you are anything like me, this change can feel like it is taking F.O.R.E.V.E.R. But, if you just continue on your journey and put your trust and faith in God, you will get there. |
WELCOMEI am so glad you are here! I am Erica Strickland, a girl who loves God. My goal here is to simply share His love and light. Categories
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