~The Bread~ By Rheannon

Powerful Woman of God Blog

Encouraging, Empowering and Strengthening Women in Life, Love, Destiny and Faith.

~The Bread~ By Rheannon

My pastor, my friend and I have been doing a book study called “The Rock, the Road and the Rabbi” By Kathie Lee Gifford, with Rabbi Jason Sobel. It’s been such an amazing adventure, really. In just 6 sessions, I have had so many “aha/OMg” moments I can hardly believe it.

One of these moments caught me two weeks ago while studying what Jesus had to say about “the bread.”

(Photo Credit Alyona’s Cooking)

In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus taught the disciples to pray saying, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors…” (NIV)

Jesus connected ‘bread’ and ‘forgiveness’ here and at the last supper where He tells His disciples in Matthew 26:28, “Take, eat, this is my body,” and of the cup He says, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for the forgiveness of sins.”

Earlier in the gospel of John, Jesus told the multitude of people following Him, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Here’s where it hit me-

When we pray and ask God to give us our daily bread, we are literally praying that He will give us Jesus! WOAH! Jesus Himself IS the bread of life!!!

We need Christ daily in our lives. He is the only one through whom true forgiveness comes. His is the blood that is poured out for the forgiveness of the world! When we pray, “give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors,” we are asking God to give us Christ, who is the bread of life and the only one through whom we attain forgiveness for ourselves and others!

Jesus being our bread of life and the one through whom forgiveness is received is key to all of our lives. He gives us life and forgiveness. And our response to that incredible love is to forgive as we are forgiven.

Forgiveness is not merely a formality of our faith, it is fundamental to it! It is how we display that we belong to Christ. We are to forgive wholeheartedly and completely. When we do, it is like we are unlocking the chains that bind us to the past, as well as to the situation. We set ourselves and others free when we forgive, like we have given bread to a starving soul.

Incredible!

Who is it that we need to forgive? What do we need to ask forgiveness for? Ask Jesus, the bread of life, the forgiver of sins to speak to your heart and reveal these things to you. Then, forgive, and share in the communion of Christ.

It’s the real deal.

~Rheannon

Get the book “The Rock, the Road and the Rabbi” By Kathie Lee Gifford with Rabbi Jason Sobel here if you’re ready to have your mind blown-

https://www.christianbook.com/rock-road-and-rabbi-study-guide/kathie-gifford/9780310095019/pd/0095019?en=google&event=SHOP&kw=bible-studies-and-curriculum-0-20%7C0095019&p=1179710&dv=t&gclid=Cj0KCQiA_4jgBRDhARIsADezXcimw3KJm53fnHk_rASxM2BZNYACaE9i6Wx_g-T4I2cW7H9g9IzcYqsaAgDVEALw_wcB

~Grace, grace~ By Faith

Powerful Women of God Blog

Encouraging, Empowering and Strengthening Women in Life, Love, Destiny and Faith.

~Grace, grace~

“I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” Romans 7:15.

Have you ever said this to yourself? I have…more times than I can count.

It’s been so interesting being an entrepreneur. I have truly witnessed my business being a reflection of my inner self. Things like my self worth, my “deserve” level, organization, money management and time management are all reflected in the way I run things. Time after time I would set goals, see the value in achieving them and yet not exercise the self discipline to walk it out and see them realized. Thankfully, God has still provided me with so many blessings and achievements throughout these seasons even though I’ve always felt I could be doing so much more.

In the last few months I have learned a lot more about the topic of neuroplasticity and “limiting beliefs” and/or “self sabotage.”

Did you know that 90% of the thoughts we had yesterday, we automatically have again today? When we have a defining moment as young children and have a strong thought about it, chances are we had that thought again and again. 30 or 40 years later we are a product of how we had been thinking all those years. These thoughts drive our actions and subsequently our habits.

Additionally, 95% of “us” is run by our subconscious mind. When we decide that we are going to change, 5% of “us” is going up against 95%. My objective here is to point out that God knows this. He sees us and our habitual ways, and He’s giving us grace accordingly.

My journey learning about neuroplasticity and getting to the root of these habitual thoughts is ever-going. I am so grateful for God’s grace and that He sees my heart for wanting to change so much and that He also sees why I sometimes do what I hate.

I have more hope than ever to experience the opposite of that and instead enjoy the fruits of the spirit all the way down to my thoughts.

Check out these resources for more on neuroplasticity:

Dr. Caroline leaf – YouTube and books switch on your brain, or Think Learn Succeed.

Or Dr. Joe Dispenza – breaking the habit of being yourself

You can do all things through Christ – even change your thoughts and create a healthier “you!”

I’d encourage you to do just that!

Faith

~Simpler than Sin…Cookies~ By Rheannon (Recipe Included)

Powerful Woman of God Blog

Encouraging, Empowering and Strengthening Women in Life, Love, Destiny and Faith

~Simpler than Sin…Cookies~ By Rheannon

I love to cook and bake. Fall is one of my favorite times of year for that reason! The air outside is crisp and cool, making warming up my home with a hot sweet smelling oven the best part of the season. If its not something sweet, it’s a stew or chili or pressure cooked meat and lots of mashed potatoes. I think its safe to say I also love to eat.

Two days ago I came across a great little peanut butter cookie recipe in my special recipe box. It’s in my grandmother’s handwriting, so right there I know its going to be good. This recipe is crazy easy. It’s so simple, she gave it a fitting name – “Simpler than Sin Peanut Chocolate Cookies.”

Delicious.

Now, I’ve been trying to watch my sugar intake lately, and make healthier snacking decisions, but these cookies just looked so dang good! They call for one cup of sugar…That’s like, a LOT of sugar. LOL.

I started thinking about what I could do to make a great cookie with less sugar, and BINGO! I came up with an idea. I like to use this stuff called “Swerve.” Its an Erythritol sugar substitute that you can use cup for cup like sugar. (I know advertisers love to say things can be used cup for cup as a replacement…I have yet to find one that really does, but this stuff is decent. Its not exactly like sugar, but it’s good.)

Off I went, mixing the ingredients and adding my “Swerve.” (The recipe calls for one cup, but I used more like 3/4 cup. Call me cheap. The stuff is expensive!). It came together well enough, and naturally, to make them even better, you have to put dark chocolate on there, because let’s face it – DARK CHOCOLATE.

They are GREAT! The little bit of chocolate gives them a delicious sweetness, and I loved them!

Its amazing what a decision to change a recipe can yield! I still get to eat a cookie, but I don’t get that gross feeling from sugar overload. WIN-WIN!

Remember the woman Jesus spoke to at the well in Samaria? She had a lot of baggage/junk in her life, and yet, Jesus loved her enough to reach out to her and give her a reason to change and start a new life, free of the sin she had before. And, she chose to do it! WIN-WIN!

Just like her, we can choose to follow Christ and leave behind the junk that has us down and out. Kinda like I changed my recipe, we can leave sin or bad decisions or negative thinking behind us and press forward to find something new and exciting in Christ!

Viva la difference!

Love,

Rheannon

Ps- here’s the recipe for you to enjoy!!! You can make this recipe just the way it is if you’d like, or take the sugar down by half, or substitute sugar. Have at em! XOXOXO

Simpler than Sin Peanut Chocolate Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 Cup Peanut butter of choice, crunchy or creamy

1 Cup Sugar, or Swerve (you can cut the amount of sugar if you want, or replace it with alternative like Swerve)

1 Egg, room temperature, beaten

2 tsp vanilla

Dark chocolate chips (you decide how many)

In a medium bowl or blender, combine the peanut butter, sugar, egg and vanilla and mix well.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls, place 2 inches apart on untreated cookie sheet. (I use parchment paper on the sheet.)

Bake for 12-15 minutes and check them. They may need slightly more time. (I keep the time a little lower so they stay softer.)

Cool 5 minutes and remove to wire rack.

Enjoy!

( LOVE the low carb, low sugar alternative, Swerve! Turned out great!)

~Take Good Care of Yourself~ By Mel Kennedy

 

Powerful Woman of God Blog

Encouraging, Empowering and Strengthening Women on Life, Love, Destiny and Faith.

~Take Good Care of Yourself~ by Mel Kennedy

 

In my ministry work, I have the beautiful blessing of meeting many women and hearing about their lives. It is incredible the dedication these ladies have to their family, work, and faith. But, I also see and hear how exhausted these women are. Their minds, bodies, and spirits are tired. The pressures of the world today can be overwhelming. They believe God is calling them to say “yes” to every request made of them by others.

 

I completely understand this. I am someone who likes to get a lot done. I have a list (okay a couple of lists) of what I need to accomplish every day. I also keep a weekly, monthly, and yearly goal calendar. My written down intentions to take care of myself often get pushed to the bottom of the list and sometimes just get crossed off. I can’t make it the gym because I have too many emails to respond to, the promise to take 15 minutes daily to pray with scripture gets forgotten and taking time to sit quietly and mentally refresh never materializes.

 

It can be difficult to find the healthy balance of taking care of others and ourselves. Can you relate to this?

It can be easy to forget or deny the need to love ourselves. If we are not loving ourselves with spiritual, mental, and physical self-care then we can run dry. Jesus tells us we must love others as we love ourselves. (Mark 12: 31). If our well is empty, then we have nothing to give to others.

I think we all know the safety presentation given before a commercial airline flight takes off. They remind us how to fasten a seat belt (if you don’t know how to do that then you really need to take some time off!) But, what do the flight attendants say about the oxygen masks? “Secure your mask before assisting those around you.”

That instruction, I feel, applies to life. We must take care of ourselves first if we are going to take care of anyone else properly.

“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.” – (Mark 6:31-32 NIV)

So, let’s remind ourselves that there is only one of us and we are special. We need to take good care of this life that God has given us. If God is at the center of our self-care, it draws us back to Him. When we find ourselves refreshed and renewed in God, our mind, body, and spirit will be able to truly love the Lord and we will be able to actively share that love with family, friends, and the world.

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” – Mark 1:35 NIV

…and until we met again, may you keep safe in the gentle, loving arms of God.

 

Blessings,

Mel

 

Moment by Moment Motherhood~ From Jessa

Powerful Woman of God Blog

Encouraging, Empowering and Strengthening Women in Life, Love, Destiny and Faith

Moment by Moment Motherhood~ From Jessa

There are innumerable ways a child is raised, and no one universal formulaic process that fits each family. For parents, it can be overwhelming to take on the responsibility of caring of a son or daughter, but there is grace available to passionately love them in midst of difficult moments that stretch us. This grace is given by living in the moment.

For the past four months, I’ve experienced waking up multiple times in the night to nurture my son, followed by a full day’s responsibility of caring for the house and my husband, while going to college, working part time and desiring to give 110 percent in everything. This, as you can imagine, becomes overwhelming at times, especially when not everything goes as “planned.”

When my eyes are half open, my body aching, and my mind thinking about sleep (which is not happening) while I fill the 4oz baby bottle at 3 AM, I turn my mind to this one thing: “I have my son at this age only one time… He will only be at this height, weight, and developmental milestone once.” In that moment, I decide to treasure it!

Thankfully, being a sleep deprived mommy then suddenly shifts into a beautiful moment in time where I can love my son, beyond my own comfort and into something more.

At four months of age, this little boy is teaching me to live in the present. He doesn’t know past or future, but when he’s hungry, or needs a diaper change, or looks at me and smiles while flailing his cute feet in the air with a giggle, he is fully in the moment with me.

When I peer into his little innocent eyes before I pick him up, my world stops. When he gets fussy, I am there with him experiencing his face and mannerisms to observe and think of what he needs. My present and his present meet in that moment of connection, which binds us with deep love. These times show me, as a new mommy, the parts of my own heart I never knew were there!

Have you experienced this?!

As I walk this journey as a new mother, I am experiencing new facets of the heart of God, as well. He wants us to connect with Him in the present, be in the moment, not dwelling on thoughts of the wrongs in our past. We can’t afford to waste time on those thoughts when God has an adventure for us right now in this moment with Him!

His grace for us is accessible today in this way-Jesus said, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

Right there gave us moms a boundary and a solution to walking with God and our family, without worry, in faith for the current day. So often we are overwhelmed because we carry around our past mistakes, our current responsibilities, and our future possibilities all in one day! It’s so distracting, isn’t it?

Every day, our children gift us with “I love you” moments. It’s in the way they tug your finger for the first time, or the giggles they make because of mommy’s voice, how they look at their father as if they’ve known him for years, the smile they give when you lock eyes with them, their different cries that draw your immediate attention…

Acknowledging these moments as a gift from God and a learning experience is how we can live more fully connected with Him and with our family. Which, in turn, gives our heart access to love and joy in midst of trying circumstances and grows us into the mothers God calls us to be.

Remember you are never alone and when life gets overwhelming. Take It moment by moment. We can handle moment by moment.

“This is the day the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad it.” Psalm 118:24

This is your day, moms! The present is a present! You may may feel stretched, but look at who you are stretching for. Is it worth it? Of course it is! We are called “mother,” and when our children were born so were we!

Let me pray for you before you go back to your beautiful moment-

Father, I pray for every mother reading this. Lift the burden and pressures of the world off her shoulders. Show her you have it all in your hands. Give her a deep peace in who you are for her and reveal your love and purpose for her family. Place your word in her heart as a boundary for her mind, keeping a residing peace inside. Give her grace for each day and protect her from feeling overwhelmed but rather empowered to grow and learn as mother with permission to do so, moment by moment. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

Love,

Jessa

A Little Journey with God ~By Jessa

Powerful Woman of God Blog

Encouraging, Empowering and Strengthening Women in Life, Love, Destiny and Faith.

 

~A Little Journey with God~ By Jessa

It was a cold December morning. The grey clouds covered the sun, and a cold chill ran up my spine from winter’s bite. I decided to stop at my favorite coffee shop to warm up. I had plans set for the morning; it would be another busy day…

When I was driving home, I saw a man and his dog sitting alone in the cold. My plans took a sudden halt. I observed the man from a distance taking note he had no food, was alone and sitting on a road with not even a sign. He had a duffle bag, an old bike, a beautiful dog and appeared to be homeless.  It was nearing Christmas, and my heart broke with compassion.

I am never quick to get out of my car and talk to strangers, so I drove by and rolled down my window, giving the man three dollars that was sitting in my wallet.

“This is all I have,” I said.

He received it warmly and said with a big cheerful smile, “God Bless!”

As I drove away I began to think and pray… That is not really all I have.

What struck me was how thankful he looked when just three dollars were given. He was so grateful to receive so little.

I was thinking of his current situation, and was reminded of “God will supply all our needs according to his riches in Glory” (Philippians 4:19).  How can I show this man that God is thinking about him today? I began to pray again asking the question: What does he need?”

Once I came home, it wasn’t hard to find what he might need. With compassion in my heart, I quickly made him a turkey sandwich, gathered some homemade chili, a muffin, some waters, protein bars, cough drops, and other various things.

I must tell you, my heart was getting filled with joy as I was preparing all this. I felt one with God’s heartbeat. I rummaged around my home to see what else I could give. I thought, “Perhaps a candy cane? It is Christmas soon, and here is a warm blanket we never use.” Lastly, I grabbed a Billy Graham devotional my husband and I already read through many times.

The only thing I did not have was dog biscuits. Right away, I felt a sense of inconvenience because I was going to start my workout right after coming home. I was thinking about what I wanted and needed to do that day.  Would I have the time to give to the man and his dog?

I finally decided it was worth an extra 30 min out of my busy day. I was on a mission in the streets of Kalispell!  Going to the store to get the dog biscuits, I prayed again and was reminded of the verse “For God so loved the world he gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16).  Father God gave us Jesus Christ, His perfect Son, and in response to the will of His Father, Jesus stretched His arms out on a cross and gave us everything He had that we may know Him and His heart… Thinking of it struck my core. Truly, in similar fashion, we are called to stretch out, to reach out and demonstrate the love of God to others in the most practical, simple ways that they too may know God loves them.

Praying that the man hadn’t left because it was about half an hour since I saw him last, and a bit nervous outside my comfort zone, I reiterated this verse to myself – “Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward” (Mark 9:41).

I thanked God when I saw the man was still there with his dog. My heart filled with compassion, I pulled up a second time and gave him everything I had prepared for him.

There are hardly words to describe the joy on the man’s face…He took the food for himself and his dog, and named everything out loud with laughter! Looking up to the sky, he smiled. When he saw the Billy Graham devotional, he thanked God right in front of me! Like a little child, he put the sage green blanket to his face while holding the basket of goodies close to his chest.

It was beautiful to witness. This is what it feels like to stretch out, and simply give.

I drove home deeply touched by what happened. Praise was upon my lips, for a spontaneous morning on the streets of my hometown.

I gave to that man, but he also gave to me.

What is the story you will tell when you see someone and you begin to pray?

~Jessa

~The Incredible, Wonderful You!~By Faith

Powerful Woman of God Blog

Encouraging, Empowering and Strengthening Women in Life, Love, Destiny and Faith.

 

The Incredible, Wonderful You!~ By Faith

Recently at a Mary Kay conference in Atlanta, Georgia it became wildly apparent to me how little I tend to operate out of self-confidence and security. I tend to notice this much more when I spend a lot of time on social media. It’s so easy to slip into judging others or second guessing my journey, timing, wardrobe, etc. I can then go a whole day wishing I were different, better, more (insert adjective). The problem with this is-#1 I become negatively self-focused, not feeling equipped or confident and-#2 I’m not expressing myself fully in my gifts, letting my unique light shine.

It really hit me when I saw about 10 women (National Sales Directors) at the very top of our company debuting as emeritus. I realized all these women lead the people God entrusted to them differently. Sure, they made some tweaks and grew stronger in weak areas, or even delegated some of those…but they each had to step into their individual greatness-how God made them specifically. Those things that motivated them, what gave them passion and inspiration, their own sense of humor.

I think as long as I am looking to the left and right, feeling insecure, wishing I were different, I’m missing out on the life that God gave me to thrive in. I’m missing out on confidently leading the women He specifically entrusted to me!

What is every empowering thought you’ve ever had about yourself?  Take a minute and write them down.

Now, what is every dis-empowering belief you’ve had about yourself?  Write them down.

Look at the empowering beliefs, what are the top three? How do they make you feel? What would it look like if they guided your actions?

Maybe like-

Now the dis-empowering.  What are the two most dis-empowering? How are they ridiculous or absurd? How are they assisting you in the mission you have with this one life you get to live? What are they costing you?

Jesus nailed your shame, guilt, anger, insecurity and judgment to the cross. I don’t know about you but I’m sick of lugging them around for NO good reason. They’re not only not assisting me, they’re slowing me down and distracting me.

Let’s put blinders on, take God as our partner and enjoy this life while trusting He has equipped us with everything we need through Him and His presence.

 

Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance, the race marked out for us.”

 

 

Faith Corpron

“Jaws” ~ By Rheannon

Powerful Woman of God Blog

Encouraging, Empowering and Strengthening Women in Life, Love, Destiny and Faith.

 

“Jaws”~ By Rheannon

Fear…Somehow when I think of that word, the soundtrack from Jaws starts playing in my mind.  It’s like there is an unseen monster hiding around the corner waiting to sink its teeth into me.

Getting right down to it, God has really been speaking to me about fear.  I find myself paralyzed by its icy grip more often that I would like to admit.  Most of the time I cover that up with an “I’ve got this” front, but if I’m honest, that famous soundtrack is still lurking in the dark passages of my thoughts.

I wish I could just push the fear aside…as if it was something physical that I could move out of my way…but the things that play on the field of the mind can be tricky to outwit.

Can you relate?

A couple weeks ago I was seeking God in my prayer time and waiting on His voice.  What He had to say to me is taking some time to sink in!  Basically, He told me that I am afraid all the time about so many different things, which is true.  He also reminded me that He is GOD.  He is in command, He is all I need.  He reminded me of things that He had told me before about who I am and what I am supposed to be doing…that was a good thing, because let’s face it-we are all super good at forgetting what He says to us ten minutes after it’s been said!  MAN! (Side note-write what He says down.  You can look at it and actually remember it later…)

Now, fast forward to this week.  I am again full of fear and need to call in back up.  AAAaaah, friends.  Don’t you love how a friend can make all the difference?  Sarah is a good friend.  She tells me what I need to hear even when she knows I might not want to hear it.  Thank God I always know she loves me and I can trust her, so I called her up and asked for prayer.

“You know why the enemy wants to keep you afraid of this?” She asked, “Because he knows that if you aren’t, you’ll drop some serious butt-kicking karate chop spirit filled action right on his face and defeat him!”

WOAH!!!  Hold up-do you know what that means???  The enemy is AFRAID!  That’s because the Spirit of Christ is in us, and that Spirit is what defeats the enemy! Someone please hit the gong!  What a realization!

Did you know that the enemy of your soul, Satan, the devil, a fallen angel, is deeply concerned that you will meet your full God–given potential?  Yep.  He dang sure should be.  He also cannot touch a single hair on your head without God’s permission.  He’s on a short leash.  While we are on that note, let’s also establish that the devil is NOT God’s “equal in evil.”  He is a created being-a fallen angel, who has a major “I want to be God and rule the world” complex.  To an extent, he does, by permission, but he is not now, has never been, and never will be the opposite of God.  The opposite of good is bad, the opposite of light is dark and the opposite of God is nothing!  GOD stands ALONE as supreme in power and authority…but I digress.

Now, God word says that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”  We are made by His hand and for His glory!  For His own purposes!  He crafted you from the very beginning for a task specifically designed for you.  YOU!  No wonder Satan has it out for us!  We are literally here to be and do God’s glorious work in the world.

Sarah encouraged me to recite Scripture to myself when I feel the “Jaws theme” hit my soul.  Things like-

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” KJV

Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” NIV

Dr. James Dobson, a Powerful Man of God, says this about moving past fear:

“You can talk to God in prayer and release your fears- not holding on to them.  Give to God your fears and doubts.  Trust that He will take care of things – in His way and His timing – because He is stronger and wiser and more loving than you could ever imagine.” (drjamesdobson.org)

So, friends, we can lean into God when we are afraid, trust Him for the release of that fear, and move forward into what God has for us!   Grab hold of the amazing truth that you have a PURPOSE here, and the next time that the soundtrack plays in your mind, remember that the only reason you’re hearing it is because the enemy is afraid of what God can do in you!

Praise the Lord!!!

~Rheannon

 

Rheannon is a Country Rock and Contemporary Christian artist.  You can learn more about her by visiting her website at http://www.rheannonmusic.com

(Ocean image from http://meche.mit.edu/research/ocean)

Ridiculously Excellent ~ By Sue

Powerful Women of God Blog

Encouraging, Empowering and Strengthening Women in Life, Love, Destiny and Faith.

Ridiculously Excellent ~ By Sue

My husband and I took a little reprieve last week and spent some time at a missionary resort.  We just needed to get away from it all and unwind.  The weather was amazing and we settled in for a weekend of awesome relaxation.

The founder of the organization was there and invited us to have a cup of coffee with him. He began to show us his vision for the future for this resort.  As he pulled out the drawings and laid them out for us to view, he called it ‘ridiculously excellent’.

…I sat on those two words for a moment…what a grand phrase to explain a vision that some felt was too big and unreachable.   I commented on the usage of his words and he said, “Sue, if your vision is not intimidating to you then it’s insulting to God.”

That stopped me in my tracks.  I began to consider some of the things that God has placed on my heart to do.  It sure is easy to ‘coast’ with your vision.  To just do the minimum.  To not step into the intimidation zone. That’s the ‘easy button’ way.  But when you truly take the vision that God has placed upon your heart and then jump both feet in, you find yourself having to trust that God will be ‘all in’ with you!

When we walk in our calling, or put the vision God has given us in place, and then trust Him all along the way – no vision is too big.

I hope these words stick in your mind this week.  Has God called you to walk on the road less traveled?  Are you intimidated by this journey?  I’ll be praying that you will have the courage to walk on that road called ‘ridiculously excellent’.

Creatively His, Sue:)

~The Gift that Keeps on Giving~ By Jessa

Powerful Woman of God Blog

Encouraging, Empowering and Strengthening Women in Life, Love, Destiny and Faith.

~The Gift That Keeps On Giving~ By Jessa

God is a God of love, therefore, He is always ready to forgive and connect with us despite our shortcomings or sin. When we position our heart before the Lord, to receive what only He can give us, it would look something like this: “Ok God, I need Your touch here, I surrender to You – show me Lord where I need forgiveness. I receive all that you desire to give me.” When we know exactly where we need Him to forgive us, then we can receive it with a joyful heart as He lifts us out of our shame and guilt. The moment we have freely received God’s mercy and forgiveness, that standard has been set for us to freely release the same measure to those we are connected with.

“But instead be kind and affectionate toward one another. Has God graciously forgiven you? Then graciously forgive one another in the depths of Christ’s love.” (Eph 4:32 TPT)

When it’s challenging for me to forgive someone, I picture Jesus on the cross dying for my sin. When I see and value His heart, I cannot withhold the mercy He gave me. The more we walk with Jesus as our friend, the more we understand His heart for us… We can learn to love because He first loved us. Because of His grace to allow us to connect with Him through His forgiveness toward us, we are empowered to walk in His nature, as His children, in His likeness and become merciful as He is merciful.

“Be imitators of God in everything you do, for then you will represent your Father as his beloved sons and daughters. And continue to walk surrendered to the extravagant love of Christ, for he surrendered his life as a sacrifice for us. His great love for us was pleasing to God, like an aroma of adoration—a sweet healing fragrance” (Eph 5:1-2).

Isn’t that just amazing? We can know Jesus in His mercy, and reflect it to others.

Reflecting the mercy of Jesus through forgiveness is pleasing to the Lord, and allows us to love as Christ loves. As we release forgiveness, Jesus, in His mercy, cleanses us by sculpting our ash-heaps of pain, shame and guilt into a beautiful diamond worthy of praise!

Because Jesus Christ purchased us with His pierced hands, nail-torn feet, and a crown of thorns, we can bond ourselves to His kindness and mercy. During this holiday season, I challenge us to slow down in our “New York minute” world, and see things through His world view.

Take a moment…Embrace just how precious you are to the King of Mercy and Kindness… Think about family, friends, and even those who have hurt you. As Christ has called us His friends, He is calling us to walk in complete forgiveness for the sake of relational restoration, and personal healing. This is what He died for; this is what matters to Him most:

“I have never called you ‘servants,’ because a master doesn’t confide in his servants, and servants don’t always understand what the master is doing. But I call you my most intimate friends, for I reveal to you everything that I’ve heard from my Father. You didn’t choose me, but I’ve chosen and commissioned you to go into the world to bear fruit. And your fruit will last, because whatever you ask of my Father, for my sake, he will give it to you! So this is my parting command: Love one another deeply!” (John 15:15-17 TPT)

A family member of mine once reminded me not to forget where I came from… Although we don’t dwell in our past, we can acknowledge what we didn’t have prior to meeting God, and be thankful for what we have now because of what He has done on our behalf. That is our testimony! Let us not forget the beauty that comes with forgiveness and mercy. We were once blind, but now we see.

C.S. Lewis said it like this,

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but by it I see everything else. We need help to see, we need His vision to walk as sons and daughters of light in His love to love as He loves.”

Who do you need to love today? Who can you extend His mercy to? It’s a time to heal and to open the gift of His mercy—A gift that keeps on giving.

~Jessa