Casting Cares February 22, 2012

Cast the whole of your care,

[all your anxieties,

all your worries,

all your concerns,

once and for all]

on Him,

for He cares for you affectionately and

cares about you watchfully.

1 Peter 5:7AMP

God wants to help you will all your “baggage.” Whatever concerns you, whatever is causing you anxiety, all your worries, all your problems ~ no matter what kind of burden you are carrying around in your heart, He cares deeply about you, and He wants you to give it all to Him. Trust that He is big enough to handle anything you bring Him, and He’s always ready to take the load off your shoulders.

God is Faithful

[reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise,

and He can be depended on]…

1 Corinthians 1:9a

Yet I will Rejoice February 19, 2012

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty…
yet I will rejoice in the LORD!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
The Sovereign LORD is my strength!
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
able to tread upon the heights.

Habakkuk 3:17 – 19 NIV

When you feel overwhelmed by the weight of problems bearing down on you from all sides or if your troubles seem to be more that you can handle, remember that you can still find joy in our LORD, and that joy is actually your source of strength.

“Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 NIV

We are not controlled by the circumstances swirling around our lives. As children of God, we have a source of unlimited strength within us to endure any trial we face. He will give us surefooted confidence to place one foot in front of the other as we tread through the deepest valleys. You will run like a swift deer through dangerous and rough terrain.

Instead of focusing on your difficulties, look to God and rejoice in Him. Your troubles will pale in comparison to the light of His glory. Trust Him with any situation in life, and you will find confidence and hope in the darkest of days.

A Love Letter From God February 16, 2012

True Love February 13, 2012

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world

that He gave up His only begotten Son,

so that whoever believes in

(trusts in, clings to, relies on)

Him shall not perish

but have eternal (everlasting) life.

John 3:16 (AMP)

Jesus is the missing piece to your life’s puzzle.

The Definition of Love February 12, 2012

God is love.

We love because he first loved us.

1 John 4:16b, 19 NLV

My oldest son’s favorite movie as a little boy was (and still is!) Toy Story. In the movie the character, Buzz Lightyear, is famous for the phrase, “To infinity and beyond…!” My sweet son took that phrase and used it to try and describe how much he loved me – “to infinity and beyond…”, and I would respond by telling him, “I love you more…”

The truth is that God loves all of us even more than that! It is unfathomable to think of the magnitude of God’s love for us. He is the definition of love, and He loved you and me before He created the earth and everything in it. He loved us before the beginning of time and will continue to love us into eternity…and beyond!

God’s love is the source of all human love, and He is the only reason we are able to love others. His love does not fade over time. It doesn’t change depending upon His mood, and it definitely does not disappear if we make a mistake… or multiple mistakes. His love is forgiving, kind, compassionate and eternal. The way we love others is a true testament to our love for God. How we treat the people around us – family members, neighbors, friends, co-workers, store clerks, even strangers – is evidence of our love for our Heavenly Father. By allowing our hearts to be filled with His love, we can in turn love others around us with His divine love.

God loves you – to eternity and beyond!

A Forever Love February 11, 2012

Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end. Love Never Dies…” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a MSG

Today love has become a mixed-up term with little significance, and many confuse love with lust. God’s brand of love is directed outward toward others and is characterized by unselfish motives. This type of true love is able to forgive and forget, keep looking forward, and always hope for the best. It is characterized by patience, perseverance and unselfishness.

Love is an attribute of God Himself, and is one of the greatest of all human qualities. By allowing God to fill our hearts with His true love, we are able to express this pure version of love to others in our lives. This love keeps going to the end…and never dies.

So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

1 Corinthians 13: 3 MSG

The Recipe For Happiness February 1, 2012

I’ve found the recipe for being happy

whether full or hungry,

hands full or hands empty.

Whatever I have, wherever I am,

I can make it through anything

in the One who makes me who I am.

Philippians 4:12-13 (MSG)

Are you content in any circumstance you face? True contentment is that divine sense of inward sufficiency which comes from finding your worth through God’s point of view instead of through worldly gain. Often the drive to accumulate more or better possessions is an outward sign of an inward void. The continual desire to acquire greater wealth, recognition, fame or belongings is sometimes evidence of an inner longing to fill an empty place in a person’s life. The emptiness appetite is insatiable if we try to satisfy it with money or assets.

We can trust that God will supply our needs in ways that He knows are best for us. If we focus on finding our purpose in Him and drawing our strength from Him, He will replace our attitude of discontentment with inner peace. With God as the center focus of our lives, we can say with confidence, “Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”