Stepping Stones of Life

           Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--
                   This is your spiritual act of worship! Romans 12:1 NIV

            Surrender! What comes to your mind when you hear that word? Losing a game or throwing in the towel, walking away, you can’t possibly do it any longer so you give up. Does that ring a bell to you? Have you ever had to surrender something that was very important to you? Someone is asking you to surrender something this well be forever life changing.
            God is asking you to surrender yourself to him. Meaning your life you’re innermost being and everything that is in it. All of you not just seventy-five percent. Your life, your heart, your soul, your inner most being. How does that make you feel, does it make you feel vulnerable maybe a little frightened? The question is can you do it or do you even know how?
            In the Webster dictionary surrender means; to give up oneself into the power of another. Wow, pretty power isn’t it? Even the dictionary is telling us to give ourselves to another and that other is God. Do you know that God can’t possible do all he wants to do for our lives and us until we surrender ourselves to him? I know that I learned the hard way of leading my own lfie and making my own decision. I have fallen more times and I decided I don’t want to have control of my life. I learned that there is someone out there that wants to guide me and someone that even knows what’s best for me. God says, “That I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 Right here God is telling us I know the future I have for you better than you do, I have a future for you not to harm you buy one with hope and love.  When we take our own life in our hands we are opening the door for devastation, hurt and failure. Do you want that in your life? I know I didn’t. I wanted everything that God could give me and the only way to receive that is surrendering all of myself to him. Before I knew it he was blessing my life beyond measure. Do I still have some difficulties and trails, yes I do but it is a lot easier to get up when God is the one lifting me up.
            Do you want your life to be different? Do you want to put your life in the hands of our creator? The one who can truly change everything that is within you? Let’s pray, “Lord I surrender the right to lead my own life I don’t want to anymore for I know that you know what is best for me. Here I am Lord take me as I am and do as you wish with myself and my life guide me Lord in the direction that you want me to go and may I however blindly follow you.” In Jesus name, Amen!

Thank you Lord for showing me what it is like living my life completely through you, I will continue to give myself, my innermost being unto you.

At our youth group on Wednesday the day before America’s most popular romantic holiday, we had a Valentine’s Day lesson. The youth room was filled with round tables and chairs, red candles of different shapes and sizes filled the center of each table along with message candy hearts. Each place setting had a heart shape sugar cookie on a red dessert plate and one heart chocolate candy. Our youth director asked each of us, if we could receive a very special Valentine from God, what do we think it would say. Each student was given a plain white paper heart and water color paints to decorate their heart. What the students didn’t really know was there was a message on each heart and as they began to decorate their heart that special message was revealed. Some of the messages were: Trust me. I am here for you. I love you. I feel your pain, and so on. She continued on with telling each of the students that God has wrote a very special Valentine to each one of us and it goes like this…

My Child,

You may not know me,
but I know everything about you.
Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up.
Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways.
Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered.
Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image.
Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being.
Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring.
Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived.
Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation.
Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake,
for all your days are written in my book.
Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth
and where you would live.
Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb.
Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born.
Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented
by those who don't know me.
John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry,
but am the complete expression of love.
1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you.
1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child
and I am your Father.
1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could.
Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father.
Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand.
James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs.
Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love.
Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless
as the sand on the seashore.
Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you.
Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession.
Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you
with all my heart and all my soul.
Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things.
Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart,
you will find me.
Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you
the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires.
Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you
than you could possibly imagine.
Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you
in all your troubles.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted,
I am close to you.
Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb,
I have carried you close to my heart.
Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away
every tear from your eyes.
Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain
you have suffered on this earth.
Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you
even as I love my son, Jesus.
John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed.
John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being.
Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you,
not against you.
Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression
of my love for you.
1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved
that I might gain your love.
Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus,
you receive me.
1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you
from my love again.
Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party
heaven has ever seen.
Luke 15:7

I have always been Father,
and will always be Father.
Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is…
Will you be my child?
John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you.
Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad
Almighty God

 

As you may have seen this whole letter was written from Gods word the Bible. If you have never received a Valentine like this before I want you to know that this one was meant especially for you too!!

Staying Positive!

How can we stay positive when we are encountering a negative situation one after another? It can happen, we can do it, but it takes work and discipline. I think what a lot people don’t realize is, we were not born negative, we were born to be positive individuals. God tells us in scripture Genesis 1:27 (NIV) “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”  We are created to be like God. We know that God is not negative! He is everything that is good! Why then is there so much negativity in our relationships, marriage, friends, work, and schools and even in our homes? It’s because of Sin… it’s that simple and people let it consume them and before they realize what is happening they can’t see anything good if it hit them square in the face!!

I am a very positive person! I’m not saying I don’t have rough days, that it’s hard to find the positive out of that situation and it might take awhile or even days to see anything good come out of it, but there will be something! Some people may think I am one of those people who is too positive and therefore I don’t live in reality. That is not true. I live a very real life with very real emotions. In fact I am a very emotional woman that sometimes it frustrates me. But this is who God created me to be. Someone who has a sensitive heart, because that is one characteristic of God, His sensitivity. He gave me this sensitiveness so I can be aware of what is going on around me. To see and feel someone who is hurting or who is in some type of emotional pain or loneliness. It’s very hard to see that, and to try to help them to think positively and know that God has a plan for their life. His word says in Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) “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.”

The key to staying positive in a negative situation is realizing that we have an enemy that has everything to do with negativity, and his name is Satan. He would love nothing more to ruin your life and have you think you are not worthy of anything good. He is a deceiver, a destroyer, he manipulates every situation that he can, and with pride and accomplishment he is happy if he can destroy a marriage and a home, destroy a person’s self worth, destroy a friendship. Destruction is his goal and until we realize that our negative situation is from our enemy, we will be at battle for a long time.

So I ask you this, are you tired of fighting this overwhelming feeling of worthlessness? This black cloud you feel like it is always dark and gloomy? Then fight back with God on your side. Realize it’s not your situation that is getting you down, it is Satan trying to break you… realize it and tell yourself and God that you cannot do this yourself that you need His help, guidance, love, forgiveness, goodness, faithfulness. Tell God “Satan is kicking my butt right now,” and that you have had enough. Read scripture that is uplifting, out loud if you have too. Make a list of everything that is good in your life right now. You might say there is nothing, but there is. Maybe you are healthy, have a roof over your head, you have food to eat, you have a bed to sleep in, you have friends that love you and best of all you have God. “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV) Hang in there God is with you and so am I.