God is Enough

God is enough is a short, but powerful statement that I have failed to live by the last month. I have slacked off on quiet time and have held my fears and worries on the inside. I have a true want/need to serve God through my home, but have not invited anyone to my house. I know God is in control of everything and He can use anyone for His purpose, but I haven’t been living like that. Instead of asking God to help me rest at night, I stopped doing my quiet time in the mornings because I couldn’t wake up. Instead of asking God for balance with work and home I stopped cleaning all together! I felt I had to have a clean house to invite people over. God started working on me this week and made me realize how wrong I have been! The following sentence is from Proverbs 31 Ministry’s website, “She was filled with such incredible joy not because life was perfect but simply because she had decided to make laughter, peace, and true happiness the hallmark of her life.” I am adopting this as my motto! I am going to praise God in all areas of my life and I will serve Him with all of me – imperfections and all! I am also going to open my home to people no matter how clean it is (neighbors beware)! If you are reading this and are stressed, tired, and confused with crying children and a dirty house, stop what you are doing and sing your favorite praise song. It will ease your mind and get your focus back on what really matters – our Wonderful, Loving, Awesome God!!! God wants us to spend time with Him daily and let Him make all of the pieces of our lives fall into place. Our God is a God of order (saying from a wonderful woman Adrienne Foster) and he will put your life back in order if you let Him! Praise God!

Love,
Carrie

Got questions, ask God

We had Vacation Bible School at our church this week. The motto of the week was "Got questions, ask God". How simple and awesome is this statement? So many times we worry and try to figure everything out on our own instead of praying about it. One of the skits was about someone flipping a coin to decide what they were going to be when they grow up. We may not flip a coin, but have you ever said, "If this happens, it was ment to be?" Instead if saying things like that or relying on fate, pray and put it in the hands of our very real, living God! We also learned the simple truths that God made us, God loves us, and God has a plan for us. Again, simple but very powerful statements. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." If He already knows the plans He has for us, doesn't it make more sense to ask Him to show us?



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Until the Whole World Hears

According to Rick Warren, new Christians are welcomed in China by telling them Jesus now has new eyes to see with, new ears to listen with, new hands to help with, and a new heart to love others with. This analogy really stood out to me and made me think. Have I used my entire body and mind to serve Christ today? Not at all! Have I spoken like Christ, seen with His eyes, or used my heart to love others like He does today? NO! But, I know with His help I can try and use the rest of the day to serve Him in some way. In Mark 16:15, Jesus gives us the commandment to, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Our job in this world is not to earn money, have a big house, advance in our career, get married, or even have children; our main responsibility is to tell everyone about our Savior, Jesus Christ! Why wouldn’t we want to tell everyone about His overflowing love for us! He comforts the sick, gives strength to the weak, and empowers the hopeless! He is calling you today to come to Him! If you have drifted away, He wants you to come back to Him – Just as you are!!! He truly loves us in sickness, in health, and for richer or poorer! He is the only thing we have that will never leave or forsake us! If you don’t know Jesus as your friend, don’t waste another minute! Accept Him today! Cry out to Him and He will answer you!

“I call to you, God, and you answer me.” Psalm 17:6
“Never will I leave you or forsake you” Hebrews 13:5
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:8

Red Shoes

A friend of mine was in a 4 car wreck on Goodman Road last weekend. A truck with 6 passengers hit a car, which hit my friend, who hit the car in front of her. The driver of the truck jumped out and started making excuses and complaining about the damage to his truck. Everyone in the other vehicles was fine. A woman passenger in the truck got out and had on beautiful red heels. She was complaining along with the driver and they were both yelling at the kids in the back seat to be quiet and stop crying. After a few minutes, they realized the kids had hit their heads and were crying from pain. The demeanor of the driver and the woman changed completely. The woman also realized she didn’t feel well. When everything was over, 2 passengers from the truck were taken away in ambulances – one being the woman in red heels. The man was left standing in the street dazed, confused, and holding the red shoes. My friend gave him a hug and he held on to her for dear life. This may have been the first time he had ever really realized what is important in life. So many times we get caught up in time, money, and stuff that we forget to stop and look around at what we do have. Instead of getting upset the next time your children are crying, say a quiet prayer to God thanking him for those children! Don’t wait until you are left holding red shoes to be thankful for what you have!



“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4:6

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Self esteem comes from God. A negative self image comes from straight from Satan. Satan loves when young girls starve themselves to look like the pictures in a magazine or an adult drinks themselves into a coma because they don’t have what the Jones’s have. God says we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” and we are “made in His image”. We are his creation that he loves unconditionally. He also says the hairs on our head are numbered. With so many examples in the Bible of his love for us, we should never doubt our self worth! Don’t let the world get you down or make you feel like you don’t matter. God says he “knows the plans he has for us”. The next time you are putting yourself down, sing a hymn or recite a Bible verse and give praise to Him. This will change you whole outlook on your day!

Strength

How strong are you? I heard a story about one woman that is possibly the strongest person I have ever heard of. A coworker of mine is from a communist ruled country near Thailand. When she was 11 her family made the choice to escape. Her father got out first and her mother was in charge of taking 4 girls ages 2-11 out of the country. They had to travel at night and cross the Bangkok River in a leaking boat. They were imprisoned in Thailand, but eventually met up with her father in a refugee camp and later traveled to the US. What would you have done if you were faced with the same situation? I would like to think I could do it, but I don’t like having to take both of my kids to Kroger much less across a dangerous river! I wanted to tell everyone this story to encourage you to continue being strong no matter what you are going through. Seek out others that have been through it and most of all look to Christ and the Bible. If you ask God to help you and give you answers to questions you have, He will. Our problems may seem like mountains to us, but are no more than grains of sand to our Almighty God!
Love,
Carrie
“He will send down help from Heaven to save me because of His love.” Psalm 57:3

Seeds

One of my coworkers plants seeds in little trays and brings them to work to watch them grow. We all love watching the tiny seeds sprout into little plants as well as watching her take care of them. She waters, checks the heat and sunlight, and even talks to the little plants! This reminds me so much of our spiritual life. We have to feed and nurture our walk with Christ in order for us to grow into what He wants us to be – Mature Christians. Not only do we need to nurture our own spiritual walk through daily prayer and Bible reading, we need to nurture our families’ as well. We can encourage our spouses during difficult times, teach our children to pray, and help everyone learn Bible verses. Once we start nurturing ourselves and our families, we will begin to see the “sprouts” coming through the soil! God has a plan for each of us and wants to see us all grow into strong servants for Him, but we all start as small seeds! I encourage each of you to start as a family worshipping and learning about God.

“The sower went forth to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden under foot, and the birds of the heaven devoured it. And other fell on the rock; and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And other fell amidst the thorns; and the thorns grew with it, and choked it. And other fell into the good ground, and grew, and brought forth fruit a hundredfold. As he said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Luke 8:5-8

“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. And those by the way side are those that have heard ;the cometh the devil, and taketh away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved. And those on the rock are they who, when they have heard, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among the thorns, these are they that have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. And that in the good ground, these are such as in an ahonest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it fast, and bring forth fruit with patience.” Luke 8:11-15