The Lord gives me tons of these phrases which I promptly post on Facebook to encourage people. Every now and again, it does the opposite and hits a sore spot. After a positive outpouring, I read this comment a woman named Angela posted: Why do I doubt this? 2 guys tried to break into my home 7 times… I chased after them once, they continued to harass me, I couldn’t sleep for a year and my nerves took years to recoup and only now do I feel a little better. Tonight I spend the night alone and ain’t going to lie, …
Wake Up Call
[box] “Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.” Psalm 33:1 NIV[/box] So your alarm clock goes off. It feels like the middle of the night. But your pastor challenged you to start your day with joyful praise. Before saying anything else, (“Honey, you stole the sheets!”) you want to say, “Good morning, Jesus!” At least you thought you wanted to say it (the night before); but now that you’ve finally pried open your eyes, (and yawned so loud that you woke up your husband beneath all those sheets), you think, “who’s …
Christmas Screams
When the valleys seem deeper, longer than the heights, depths of our mountaintop times, He is here. If we could see Him we would break into shouts of joy. He is here. He is here with His itinerary that makes Satan’s schemes look like child’s play. Satan doesn’t want us to see him, doesn’t want us to sense him, doesn’t want us to “consider it pure joy when we suffer trials of all kinds.” We’re not ignorant of his devices. We know he has a plan with our screaming pain to… reawaken unforgiveness, inflict fear and anxiety, load us with …
Can-Do Attitude
The power of positive thinking jumps to a whole new level when we add the Christ-factor. “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Phil 4:13 When we’re in His will, He strengthens us to do everything. What could be more positive? Some say, “I know He wants us to love all people, even difficult people, and to praise him in the midst of all circumstances, even crazy family circumstances, but do you really think it’s possible to stay Christ-like, self-controlled and patient when life falls apart?” As a sensitive, easily-rattled person prone to ask this herself, …