Mind.Blown.

AWE

1 Corinthians 2:9 – “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

You know, it’s funny—I had intended to simply post this scriptural image here today with a brief comment, but as I wrote the title, the Spirit moved me to share my testimony about some of the many instances in which God has just BLOWN MY MIND! It typically happens in one of four ways:

• Sometimes, I’m simply blown away when I read the Word and am amazed by the ways that God accomplished miraculous things through everyday people like me.
• Other times, I’m amazed by the truth of the notion that the Bible is a Living Word, and how my perceptions and understanding of its wisdom evolves as my life changes and my relationship with God evolves and deepens.
• Which leads me to the third way that God occasionally gives me cranial eruptions 🤯 (lol)—when I pray to or petition Him, and within moments, through the Word or a conversation or a message or a situation, God…the Maker of the Heavens and Earth…actually RESPONDS. HE ACTUALLY ANSWERS ME…so specifically and accurately that it’s undeniable! I know that’s what He does and all; but really, who am I that the God of the universe deigns to hear my prayer and RESPOND?? Mind. Blown.
• The last way (that I’ll discuss today) that God amazes me is when He does just as our scripture today states and moves in a way that is beyond what my mind had even conceived. Every now and again, God will do a work in my life in a truly magnificent way that just blows me out of the water with the love and power and understanding of me and attention to my needs that His move implies. There are so many examples, but the one floating around in my head right now on a bed of clouds and rainbows is my fiancé lol. I’d been praying for him for SO LONG—I made lists and got specific and thought I knew what and who I wanted, but I now realize that I never really even grasped the true blessing of finding someone so divinely designed for me. Every now and again, I just look at him and am awed by God. God is so AWESOME!

Has God ever moved in your life in a way that has simply blown YOUR mind? If so, share your testimony below!

SHINE YOUR LIGHT!

Safe and Untouched

PROTECTION

Isaiah 43:2 – “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

I love this verse. As amazing as it is, life can be difficult sometimes, and this verse reminds us that no matter what we go through—rising waters or burning flames—when God is with us, we are protected; we will make it through…tried, tested, but ultimately unscathed. With God by our side, guiding us, protecting us, giving us strength, we can endure the storms of this life that rail against us with complete confidence that if we hold to our faith, we will not be consumed. There’s such peace and joy to be found in that knowledge.

Yes, of course, it may be better (we often believe) if God just shielded us from any trials and challenges that may come our way, but the reality is that we often emerge from these seasons of adversity stronger, more centered, and better able to stand firm in our faith when next the winds and waves of life beat against us. We can’t always avoid the storms of life, but it’s so amazing to know that we have a God who walks with us, takes our hand, and even carries us through the tough times to ensure that we make it to the other side.

If you’re going through the storm today, feeling beaten and battered by the winds of life, hold on. God is with you. He is your strong tower, standing tall in the gap to keep you safe…protecting you, keeping you…and you WILL make it through.

Shine Your Light!

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

You’re A Star!

WISDOM

Daniel 12:3 – “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

“You’re A Star!”—Has anyone ever said that to you (or have you said it to yourself)? In the context of fame and fortune, this statement may or may not be true 🙂 ; but according to the Word, beloved, there is one thing of which you can be sure—when you walk in wisdom and strive to lead others to righteousness, your countenance will shine like the brightest star in the heavens forever and ever! And believe it or not, the wisdom that we seek is accessible to everyone!

James 1:5 states that if any of us are lacking in wisdom, we have only to ask, and it will be given to us. All we have to do is ask, and God will bestow upon us the knowledge and wisdom we need to be happy (Ecclesiastes 2:20) and protected (Proverbs 4:6-7); to gain understanding (Proverbs 3:13), bring peace to volatile situations (Proverbs 14:1); be considerate, merciful, fruitful, and sincere (James 3:17); and live lives that are righteous and holy (1 Corinthians 1:30). As we share this knowledge, this peace, this holiness and righteousness that wisdom affords, we are, in effect, sharing our light…the light of God’s love.

And as we let this light shine within us, we bring honor and glory to God; and we draw others to us who long to experience the peace, joy, and fulfillment that God’s love and wisdom provides. Like a star, you can light the way for someone who is lost in darkness and seeking a way into the light.

Shine Your Light!

2 Corinthians 4:6 – “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine our of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

Song: “This Little Light of Mine” by Addison Road

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Agape Love

LOVE

(I thought I’d re-post this one from 2014 in honor of Valentine’s Day)

Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Reflections: Have you ever felt truly loved? I’m not talking about that fly by night, flash in the pan, fleeting love; I’m talking about everlasting, AGAPE LOVE, where you are seen and known and cherished unconditionally and beyond measure…the type of love that, in reality, you can only find in the heart of your Heavenly Father…

Our souls long for this love, our hearts yearn for this connection; but far too often…

We seek it in all the wrong places

In a sea of blank faces

In the company of false friends

Winding up at dead ends…

…And ultimately, we end up feeling unfulfilled, because THAT love—that soul-fulfilling, heart-wrenching, mind-blowing, never-ending love—is only available in one place: the arms of our almighty God.

As Valentine’s Day draws near, and we are surrounded by people consumed by the pursuit of love, know that you don’t have to look far to find it. You have only to look to the Father, who waits for you with open arms and an open heart to hold you close, take away your cares, and give you peace and love that surpasses anything you’ve ever known.

Happy (Almost) Valentine’s Day! (You are truly loved!)

Song: How He Loves Us by New Breed (Original)/How He Loves Us by Anthony Evans (Remake)

Giving Your All

LOVE

(Our theme for this month! ❤️😊)

1 Corinthians 2:9b – “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

I read this passage the other morning, and it made my heart smile to think of the abundant life that God wants for us. He wants to give us so much, and all He asks for in return is our love. We’re not talking about that love that simply gives lip service to our relationship with God, we’re talking about truly LOVING Him—with your heart, mind, and soul. It seems like such a small request when compared to what He promises in return—blessings the likes of which we have never seen or heard, and of which our minds have never even conceived. This is what He has in store for us if we would only fully surrender our hearts to Him. He doesn’t promise that the road will always be easy once we surrender (in fact, Jesus assures us that we will experience troubles), but throughout it all, we know His promises; and we can be assured of the abundant, unimaginable blessings that wait for us on the other side of life’s valleys.

Above all else, as you move through life’s highs and lows, know that you are loved beyond measure; that you are never, ever alone; and that what God has in store for you is better than anything you’ve ever dreamed of!

Shine Your Light!

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

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Love Thy Neighbor

LOVE
(Our Theme for the Month!)

Galatians 5:14 – “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

It seems so simple, the call to love your neighbor…to be kind and considerate, and to treat those you encounter as you would want to be treated. I find, though, that this is not something that comes naturally to everyone. Almost everyone and everything around us urges people to look out for themselves, please themselves, do what’s good for themselves…It’s so rare that we receive messages that convey this key command from God—Love your neighbor as yourself—to be selfless, sacrificing, and to consider someone else’s well-being above your own.

This decree becomes even more challenging to fulfill when we consider the fact that the “neighbor” to which God refers is not only your friend, your relative, or your loved one; but also your enemy, your adversary, the proverbial bane of your existence. Loving them as you love yourself?? THAT’S when things get really tough and really interesting. I think it’s important to note, here, that loving someone does not equate to serving as their proverbial punching bag. It doesn’t mean that you have to just sit there and accept unacceptable behavior. I think that God simply means that we are to show them the grace and mercy in their flawed state that God shows us daily in ours. In doing so, we begin to create spaces for change, for reconciliation, for redemption, and hopefully, for salvation.

So, in the end, the mission is clear—Love thy neighbor. Your love, your patience, your acceptance may be the very thing needed to bring about a miraculous and life-changing work in someone else’s life.

Song: Speak Life by Toby Mac
Song: Set the World on Fire by Britt Nicole

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Your Light!

(This was a billboard I saw while driving one day that made me smile as I paused in the middle of my road rage lol)

The Everyman

SURRENDER

The other morning, I was thinking about how much Jesus was like the “everyman.” He wrestled with anger and fear; He felt disappointment when His friends let Him down; He experienced loss, rejection, false love, and betrayal…trying situations and emotions that most of us have experienced at one point or another in our lives. But the difference between Jesus and so many of us (outside of His being the Son of God and all 🙂 ) is that He knew exactly where to turn when He endured these earthly trials. He turned to His Heavenly Father and gave himself over, fully, to God’s will and His way. He surrendered Himself completely to God’s plan for His life; and in return, God gifted Him with abundant wisdom, unshakable peace, boundless courage, unfailing love, and a power beyond anything the Earth had ever seen!

What wonders could we accomplish, what mountains could we move, what strongholds could we demolish if we were only willing to give God our whole selves…holding NOTHING back? We would be earth shakers, mighty warriors of God, bringing His light and His love to a desperate and dying world and demonstrating with clarity to all around us the power and freedom that lies in complete and total surrender to God.

Luke 22:43 – “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Song: He Wants It All by Forever Jones

Shine Your Light!

Wrestling Angels (A Poem)

Wrestling Angels

A Poem by Nichole H. Stewart

I’ve been wrestling angels…

Raging
against the whispered words
speaking truth
into my soul

Warring
against the calling
I know is mine alone
to pursue

Fighting…
a soldier
on the wrong
battlefield…
a warrior
evading the cause

Struggling
to arrest the fear
fluttering in my heart
the doubts
coursing through my mind

WHY ME!!???

It would be so easy
to run and hide
to leave the task
to one better than I
but I am Yours, God
and You are mine
and if You call me…
I will come

I’ve been wrestling angels
Pleading
Resisting
Just one swift strike
And I am felled

Accepting
I rise
Blessed
now set apart
to take the path
You’ve set before me

I am flawed
I am afraid
but I am Yours
and I will fight
for You.

Isaiah 6:8 – Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Genesis 32:22-31

This work by Nichole  H. Stewart is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License

Not As I Will…

Surrender

Matthew 26:39 – “Not as I will, but as You will.”

Early this morning, I found myself praying for clarity about the relationship between faith, authority, and power and submission to God’s will. This is an area I’ve talked about before, but I continue to have conversations with people who tell me that if I petition God for something that I desire and fail to believe with certainty that request will come to pass, I am demonstrating a lack of faith. But here’s the thing…I know…with complete and total certainty…that God can do any and every single solitary thing that He sets His will to do. I have no doubt about that whatsoever. What I question, though, is whether my request ALIGNS with His will; because if it doesn’t, I know there is a very real possibility that the answer to my petition will be a firm “No” or “Not yet…” And I’m okay with that.

In these moments, I always think about Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, when He prayed, “Not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39) before He was handed over to the chief priests by Judas. He could have called down “12 legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53) to save himself if He so willed it, but He knew that it was more important for His Father’s will to be fulfilled. He desired God’s will above His own, and I believe that is also what is required of us.

I think it’s safe to say that when we’ve received a specific promise, vision, or Word from God, we can be confident that in time, it will come to pass; but when a request comes solely from our flesh, we must be willing to give it to God and accept His decision about whether it aligns with His will. Of course, there are times when we fail to surrender in this way, and God fulfills our requests anyway. We’ve all been there, and it rarely turns out well for us in the long run. In the end, we’re better off if we first seek His will and are willing to hear a “Yes,” a “No,” or a “Not yet.” The answer may not be one that we want to hear, but we can take comfort in knowing that if God closes a door, He does it out of His divine wisdom and His unending love for us.

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Be Mine…

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!!

1 John 4:6 – “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in Him.”

Reflections: Have you ever seen those little candy hearts they give out during the Valentine’s Day season? They’re all over the stores these days. I saw one the other day that said, “Be Mine,” and it made me think…Isn’t that what God is asking us? To be His? He wants you to be His—His child, His heir, His hands, His heart…And He doesn’t ask for much in return, just all that you are and everything you have to give. 🙂 I know, I know…It may sound like a lot, but it’s a small price to pay for what you get in return—God’s salvation, His guidance, His wisdom, His peace, His joy, His LOVE…for eternity…Shall I go on?

God has already shown us His love in a million different ways, no more so than when He sacrificed His heart…His son…for us; and now, in return, He wants only to take our broken and battered hearts and pour into them a love that makes them whole. He wants to claim our weary souls and soothe them with peace, comfort, and rest. He wants to care for us, protect us, teach us, grow us, and above all, He wants us to know that we are L-O-V-E-D beyond measure.

God’s amazing, agape love (love unconditional) is the model to which all other love should aspire. Knowing God’s love is the key that unlocks your ability to truly love and be loved by others.  This Valentine’s Day, know that you already have at least one valentine, and He has already given you His heart. Will you give Him yours in return?

Happy Valentine’s Day! (And remember, YOU ARE LOVED!!)

Song: Love is All by Je’Kob

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Bright!

Endless Blue Skies…

PERSEVERANCE 

John 16:33 – “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Reflections: So many times, as Christians, we are shocked and amazed that life can be hard some days. I think that deep down, we expect God to make our lives a sweet-smelling bed of roses, or at least that He would snap His fingers and make all of our problems go away instantly. But the reality is that God never promised us endless blue skies without the threat of a cloudy day. In fact, Jesus assures us that in this world, we WILL have troubles. The good news, though, is that he also assures us that we can take heart and have hope, because He has already overcome the world (John 16:33). He promised to stand by our side, and sometimes carry us, through every hardship, ultimately leading us to a life more abundant in Him. Because of Him, we can persevere through whatever life throws our way, knowing that in the end, we will have the victory.

So, yes, we will have struggles; and yes, it may seem like more than we can bear some days; but praise God that we don’t have to bear it alone! All we have to do is lean on God, give Him our burdens, and receive His promised peace, His unspeakable joy, and His unending love as we soldier through the cloudy days to get to our next blue sky.

Shine your light!

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Do it Anyway…

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE…

GRATITUDE (PART 2)

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Ephesians 5:20 – “Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…”

Reflections: Some days, it’s easy to focus on what we lack, especially when we are going through a trial or are in a posture of waiting. We focus so heavily on that one thing that we don’t have that we forget to take comfort in the myriad blessings that we’ve already received. God has blessed each of us abundantly in so many ways, and remembering this…acknowledging His grace, mercy, love, and provision…can brighten even the darkest day.

Today, let’s make a point not to take God and His blessings for granted. Let’s look around and really SEE all that He has done. I bet that we won’t have to look far to see Him working and moving in our lives. And as we acknowledge His presence with gratitude, we make way for Him to move in a mighty way and shower us with new and miraculous blessings.

Be grateful!

Song: Smile by Jonathan McReynolds

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Bright! 

The Balance Challenge!

BALANCE

Psalm 23:2-3a – “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.”

Genesis 2:2-3 – “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.  And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”

Reflections: Life can get pretty hectic sometimes, and the myriad distractions of this world can keep us from properly caring for ourselves and the people around us. When we live each day moving from “to do” to “to do,” not taking a moment to rest and refresh, the stress of the day can wear on us, making us less productive, less efficient, and in many cases, less healthy (physically, emotionally, and spiritually). When we fail to take the time for self-care, our minds, bodies, and Spirits can suffer, along with our relationships with family, friends, colleagues, and most importantly, God.

The Bible speaks often about the importance of quiet, peace, and rest. Even God rested on the seventh day, and Mark shares that Jesus told the disciples to “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest awhile” (Mark 6:31). It is in these quiet places, those spaces where we let go of distractions and welcome peace and stillness, that God is most likely to meet us and give us the rest and renewal that we so desperately need.

If you (like me) are guilty of neglecting your body and soul’s need for rest, join me today in The Balance Challenge! I challenge you to make a list of things that refresh and renew you—things that bring you joy, make you smile, or give you peace—and commit to engage in two things from that list EVERY DAY. You’ll be surprised how much more centered you feel and how better prepared you are to face the day ahead. You’ll also find that it slowly becomes easier to hear the Voice of God in the midst of all the chaos and noise that life can sometimes bring. Give it a try, and let me know how it goes! 🙂

“Do not let your to-do list (written or mental) become an idol directing your life.” ~Sarah Young, “Jesus Calling”

Also Read:

Luke 5:16 – “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

Matthew 11:28-30 – “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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 shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.”

Shine Your Light!

Putting It All Into Perspective…