Sometimes what we think is our problem is not our problem. Our problem is the way we respond to it....Trials will always put our faith to the test.
Though life gets you down...people let you down...don't let circumstances keep you down. Pick your self up and trust in the Lord that He has everything in His control and He is right there beside you.
Thankfulness lifts you up above your circumstances. Blessings brighten when we count them.
I am so thankful that the Lord is my light! He gives me a reason to keep going. Whether if feels like it or not, when we serve God, His love attends every moment of our lives - even the toughest, loneliest, most painful and desperate. God is there. Always. He never leaves us and never forsakes us.
Just a little light from Heaven fills our souls! He is what we need! Jesus is the answer to it all! In His strength we can crush the army that is attacking us. We can climb our way out of anything! We can keep going because the Lord gives us strength! He is alive and well and He lives inside of us!
I have found in my own life that when God reigns in my heart, blessings and opportunities pour down faster than I can make them happen myself. The quickest way to get where you’re going is to surrender your dream to God and let Him work to fit YOU for it.
God is still working on me. But in the meantime, I am "unshakeable" with Him by my side.
Blessings,
Dalinda
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
Faith Sounds So Backwards
Jesus is asking us to put our faith in something we can’t see. The miracle, he says, comes after we make the choice to believe and trust. It’s almost like Jesus asks us to put the “cart before the horse.” It sounds so backwards.
Jesus is always reminding us to look beyond what our eyes can see.
In His world, look at what comes after…
God’s will is more about the who than the where. Sometimes God will hide His will from us so we will dig deeper to know His ways....WOW! Powerful words from Steven Furtick
God doesn’t move. He doesn’t change. His words are true. He keeps the promise.
My staking claim of the promise isn’t contingent on God performing it—it is already done.
My staking claim of it is contingent upon me—my pursuit, my persistence, my principles, my presumption.
God's promises are real. If God said it, it is. It came into being the moment He spoke it. It’s not a matter of it materializing; it already exists. It’s a matter of me being willing to take the journey to get to where it is—no matter what the journey looks like, no matter where the promise is kept....Because the promise is kept....God is keeping it, holding it in place until I get there.
God doesn’t dangle carrots in front of our noses. He doesn’t say something is ours and then change His mind. It is we who lose heart. It is we who stop pursuing.
The promise is mine to stake claim on, but it’s up to me to make the land run. I have to go hard after it, raise my flag on it, and hold my ground. I have to believe it exists, act like it exists, declare it exists, find where it exists, and move to where it exists.
Faith sounds so backwards...Our world teaches us to focus on the before and then believe, but in God's world he asks us to walk by faith, not by sight.
Blessings,
Dalinda
Jesus is always reminding us to look beyond what our eyes can see.
In His world, look at what comes after…
God’s will is more about the who than the where. Sometimes God will hide His will from us so we will dig deeper to know His ways....WOW! Powerful words from Steven Furtick
God doesn’t move. He doesn’t change. His words are true. He keeps the promise.
My staking claim of the promise isn’t contingent on God performing it—it is already done.
My staking claim of it is contingent upon me—my pursuit, my persistence, my principles, my presumption.
God's promises are real. If God said it, it is. It came into being the moment He spoke it. It’s not a matter of it materializing; it already exists. It’s a matter of me being willing to take the journey to get to where it is—no matter what the journey looks like, no matter where the promise is kept....Because the promise is kept....God is keeping it, holding it in place until I get there.
God doesn’t dangle carrots in front of our noses. He doesn’t say something is ours and then change His mind. It is we who lose heart. It is we who stop pursuing.
The promise is mine to stake claim on, but it’s up to me to make the land run. I have to go hard after it, raise my flag on it, and hold my ground. I have to believe it exists, act like it exists, declare it exists, find where it exists, and move to where it exists.
Faith sounds so backwards...Our world teaches us to focus on the before and then believe, but in God's world he asks us to walk by faith, not by sight.
Blessings,
Dalinda
Friday, April 5, 2013
God Knows The Dead Ends
The same God that opens doors will close doors. God knows the dead ends. He won't let us go for years and end up right back where we started. - Joel Osteen
It's been a week today that our latest trial blindsided us.
My boys, ages 13 and 9, have had to endure many hard times in their short life. They lost their Nana and Papa in just a four year span. Then their mom was sick for a year and no one could figure out why. My youngest son would cry every morning going to school, worried that his mom was going to die like his Nana and Papa did. :(
But Praise the Lord, He started healing me just a short time ago... And then last Friday we were blindsided with another trial. Just a reminder that Satan may be stopped on one front but he is always searching for another way in - especially if you are doing God's work and giving Him the glory.
By no means am I sharing all of this for anyone to feel sorry for our family. I have always been transparent in the past by sharing all my struggles so God will get the glory.
One of the great problems in our world is how weak people are. Human beings are too often weak in the face of temptation or weak in the face of the obstacles that come their way. But a believer does not have to be plagued by such weakness because we have the power of God to rely upon. The apostle Paul said in Phil. 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
God is so good. He is with us always. He gives us strength for each day. We are seeking His wisdom & guidance. There are lessons to be learned in the wilderness and apparently we have a lot to learn! As much as I would love for us to be out of the wilderness, I refuse to go without my God. So, we will stay until He leads us out.
Always remember - your goal shouldn’t be to get your way, but to remain stable no matter what comes your way. God will give you double for your trouble if you stand strong on the Word of God.
Blessings,
Dalinda
It's been a week today that our latest trial blindsided us.
My boys, ages 13 and 9, have had to endure many hard times in their short life. They lost their Nana and Papa in just a four year span. Then their mom was sick for a year and no one could figure out why. My youngest son would cry every morning going to school, worried that his mom was going to die like his Nana and Papa did. :(
But Praise the Lord, He started healing me just a short time ago... And then last Friday we were blindsided with another trial. Just a reminder that Satan may be stopped on one front but he is always searching for another way in - especially if you are doing God's work and giving Him the glory.
By no means am I sharing all of this for anyone to feel sorry for our family. I have always been transparent in the past by sharing all my struggles so God will get the glory.
One of the great problems in our world is how weak people are. Human beings are too often weak in the face of temptation or weak in the face of the obstacles that come their way. But a believer does not have to be plagued by such weakness because we have the power of God to rely upon. The apostle Paul said in Phil. 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
God is so good. He is with us always. He gives us strength for each day. We are seeking His wisdom & guidance. There are lessons to be learned in the wilderness and apparently we have a lot to learn! As much as I would love for us to be out of the wilderness, I refuse to go without my God. So, we will stay until He leads us out.
Always remember - your goal shouldn’t be to get your way, but to remain stable no matter what comes your way. God will give you double for your trouble if you stand strong on the Word of God.
Blessings,
Dalinda
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Transformation Begins When We Embrace Forgiving As A Way Of Living
Jesus said that anger is a sin, yet he himself got angry.
In Mark 3:1-6, Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."
Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.
He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
Jesus is indeed shown as displaying anger in the passage above. Jesus was angry with the Pharisees, who wanted to catch Jesus breaking one of their laws, yet were unwilling to consider the morality of the law or to believe in Jesus despite seeing the miracles he did. In both cases, Jesus was angry with people who were doing wrong and refused to listen to God.
There are different types of anger. Indignation stresses righteous anger at what one considers unfair, mean, or shameful. Indignation is what could be called righteous anger - anger at wrongdoing. This is Jesus' anger, for Jesus is angered by wrongdoing. Clearly some forms of anger are wrong, and this is the anger that Jesus spoke out against in Matthew 5:22 - anger that is destructive and unnecessarily demeaning.
Personally, I have been angry at a few people in my lifetime. It's tempting to just give in to anger. While clearly not all anger is bad, the Bible reminds us in James 1:19 to be slow to get angry. I have come to realize that God's plans for me are not altered by other people's choices. In spite of all the assaults upon my heart, whether it be by friends, co-workers, or relatives, I can be released and set free simply by forgiving.
Forgiveness changes you. It allows you to climb up and out of the past and live fully today. It shows you how to accept who and what you cannot change.
Forgiveness is key to God-sized healing.
Blessings,
Dalinda
In Mark 3:1-6, Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."
Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.
He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
Jesus is indeed shown as displaying anger in the passage above. Jesus was angry with the Pharisees, who wanted to catch Jesus breaking one of their laws, yet were unwilling to consider the morality of the law or to believe in Jesus despite seeing the miracles he did. In both cases, Jesus was angry with people who were doing wrong and refused to listen to God.
There are different types of anger. Indignation stresses righteous anger at what one considers unfair, mean, or shameful. Indignation is what could be called righteous anger - anger at wrongdoing. This is Jesus' anger, for Jesus is angered by wrongdoing. Clearly some forms of anger are wrong, and this is the anger that Jesus spoke out against in Matthew 5:22 - anger that is destructive and unnecessarily demeaning.
Personally, I have been angry at a few people in my lifetime. It's tempting to just give in to anger. While clearly not all anger is bad, the Bible reminds us in James 1:19 to be slow to get angry. I have come to realize that God's plans for me are not altered by other people's choices. In spite of all the assaults upon my heart, whether it be by friends, co-workers, or relatives, I can be released and set free simply by forgiving.
Forgiveness changes you. It allows you to climb up and out of the past and live fully today. It shows you how to accept who and what you cannot change.
Forgiveness is key to God-sized healing.
Blessings,
Dalinda
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
God Opens The Right Doors and Closes The Wrong Ones
When one door closes, another door opens. But we need to focus on God so He will lead us to the right ones when He closes the wrong ones. We should never let feelings be the determining guide in our lives.
When God closes one door I always hope the next door I step through will lead somewhere. But even if it doesn’t, I want to remember to be thankful for the doors. I want to celebrate these opportunities. The more I praise God and celebrate life, the more there is in life to celebrate.
Blessings brighten when we count them.
I want to rejoice over the possibilities that come when doors open and close. Each one has the potential to lead some place beautiful. I want to remember that today.
Thank you, Lord, for my husband! Thank you, for his love and dedication to our family.
After 7 weeks of Goga, Jody has lost 20 pounds and I have lost 18 pounds...Team work! I am so very thankful for my wonderful, loyal husband. He has never left my side this entire time I have had health struggles...That's what team work is all about! I love you, Jody! ♥
And, yes Lord, thank you for doors. Continue to lead us through the right ones.
Blessings,
Dalinda
When God closes one door I always hope the next door I step through will lead somewhere. But even if it doesn’t, I want to remember to be thankful for the doors. I want to celebrate these opportunities. The more I praise God and celebrate life, the more there is in life to celebrate.
Blessings brighten when we count them.
I want to rejoice over the possibilities that come when doors open and close. Each one has the potential to lead some place beautiful. I want to remember that today.
Thank you, Lord, for my husband! Thank you, for his love and dedication to our family.
After 7 weeks of Goga, Jody has lost 20 pounds and I have lost 18 pounds...Team work! I am so very thankful for my wonderful, loyal husband. He has never left my side this entire time I have had health struggles...That's what team work is all about! I love you, Jody! ♥
And, yes Lord, thank you for doors. Continue to lead us through the right ones.
Blessings,
Dalinda
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
It's About God...And It's About Faith
I cannot expect others to see what I don't show. It's doesn't matter if people know who I am, but it matters that people know who He is.
God is my portion. I'm so very, very thankful for His amazing grace. He is my rock. When the world is in turmoil and changes swirl around me, He is my anchor and my center of balance. Sometimes it seems like every part of our lives is affected by change. And I am so grateful that He never changes.
When people wrong you, it's not up to you to make it right...It's up to God. For it's about God and it's about faith. He will show up. He will act in response to your faith and obedience. Because when we follow in faith in spite of all the variables, God shows up, and He does far more than we could ever imagine. God can take "Plan B" and make it better than "Plan A" ever would have been.
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His strength does not diminish over time. That same mountain-moving power you read about in the lives of people from the Old and New Testaments still exists today. The same power that caused the walls of Jericho to fall, an ax to float, and a dead girl to live again is available today. The force of God that formed the world, brought the dry land above the waters of the sea, and raised Jesus from the dead is available to work out the details of your life.
We can rely - absolutely depend on - His unchanging nature. Take comfort in the stability of the King - He's our leader now and forever!
Blessings,
Dalinda
God is my portion. I'm so very, very thankful for His amazing grace. He is my rock. When the world is in turmoil and changes swirl around me, He is my anchor and my center of balance. Sometimes it seems like every part of our lives is affected by change. And I am so grateful that He never changes.
When people wrong you, it's not up to you to make it right...It's up to God. For it's about God and it's about faith. He will show up. He will act in response to your faith and obedience. Because when we follow in faith in spite of all the variables, God shows up, and He does far more than we could ever imagine. God can take "Plan B" and make it better than "Plan A" ever would have been.
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His strength does not diminish over time. That same mountain-moving power you read about in the lives of people from the Old and New Testaments still exists today. The same power that caused the walls of Jericho to fall, an ax to float, and a dead girl to live again is available today. The force of God that formed the world, brought the dry land above the waters of the sea, and raised Jesus from the dead is available to work out the details of your life.
We can rely - absolutely depend on - His unchanging nature. Take comfort in the stability of the King - He's our leader now and forever!
Blessings,
Dalinda
Monday, April 1, 2013
God's Not Duped....He Knows Everything
Others may fool you, but God's not duped....He knows everything.
Some folks will kiss you today and kick you tomorrow. But we must not become bitter because Jesus refused to become bitter in His betrayals.
Betrayal is something others do to you; bitterness is something you do to yourself. It’s impossible to go through life without being hurt. It may be an unfaithful mate, a person who slanders you, or a friend who turns his back on you.
Jesus was betrayed by "one of his own." Not only that, he was betrayed by an act of loving greeting. Everything about this event was hurtful and horrifying.
Unfortunately, it happens all too frequently in our broken world. However, when we go through such trials, we can be assured that Jesus knows our pain and lovingly draws alongside us to comfort us. He has been there. He has suffered excruciating pain all set up by the betrayal of one of his closest friends. So in our hurt, let us draw near to him and know that he is there to help us make it through because He's been there.
When others betray you, God has a way of opening doors to new levels of blessing you’d otherwise miss. Your greatest spiritual growth will generally result from your greatest trials. The truth is, without some pain and opposition you wouldn’t get to sit at God’s table and enjoy His best.
Jesus endured his trials with dignity and integrity and even forgave us all for betraying Him. What love, what grace, what mercy!
We all must remember that if what we say doesn’t match what we do, no one will believe us or the God we serve.
Blessings,
Dalinda
Some folks will kiss you today and kick you tomorrow. But we must not become bitter because Jesus refused to become bitter in His betrayals.
Betrayal is something others do to you; bitterness is something you do to yourself. It’s impossible to go through life without being hurt. It may be an unfaithful mate, a person who slanders you, or a friend who turns his back on you.
Jesus was betrayed by "one of his own." Not only that, he was betrayed by an act of loving greeting. Everything about this event was hurtful and horrifying.
Unfortunately, it happens all too frequently in our broken world. However, when we go through such trials, we can be assured that Jesus knows our pain and lovingly draws alongside us to comfort us. He has been there. He has suffered excruciating pain all set up by the betrayal of one of his closest friends. So in our hurt, let us draw near to him and know that he is there to help us make it through because He's been there.
When others betray you, God has a way of opening doors to new levels of blessing you’d otherwise miss. Your greatest spiritual growth will generally result from your greatest trials. The truth is, without some pain and opposition you wouldn’t get to sit at God’s table and enjoy His best.
Jesus endured his trials with dignity and integrity and even forgave us all for betraying Him. What love, what grace, what mercy!
We all must remember that if what we say doesn’t match what we do, no one will believe us or the God we serve.
Blessings,
Dalinda
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)