It’s Not What You Know…
…it’s how much you trust God who knows everything. Within a blink He can change your circumstances. There’s a reason and purpose for where you are right now. God’s not the author of chaos nor does He instigate it, but He can use whatever situation you’re in for good.
Consider the beloved story of Esther. There are many lessons we can learn from her. As a little girl we yearn to become the princess we read about in fairy tales and most recently we’re intrigued that commoner Kate Middleton married a real life prince and became royalty. She’s living proof our little girl dreams can come true.
Esther wasn’t born into royalty but rather into a poor Jewish family. She was orphaned when both of her parents died. Her cousin, Mordecai, took her in, raised her, and taught her about God’s love. When the King of Persia denounced his Queen and looked for a replacement, Mordecai entered Esther into the contest. She was beautiful but so were all the other participants. She was favored by the king’s servants and once she was presented to the king, he also favored her. Esther’s heart for the Lord placed her above all the rest and she was chosen as Queen.
“…and who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14b
This isn’t the ‘and Esther became queen and lived happily ever after’ end of the story. It’s just the beginning because eventually Esther risks her own life to speak up to the King and save the lives of her people.
Where does God have you today? Do you have the opportunity to be an advocate for someone? Trust Him and speak up. Do you have a close relationship with a teacher, a coach, a parent, or your peers where you could speak for someone else including one of your siblings? Don’t be afraid. Let Esther be your role model.
Encouragement:
Whatever your circumstances today please know God loves to pour favor on His daughters when we honor Him. He can turn your bad situation into positive opportunities. When He does show favor toward you with a position or with a person (including family), please look around and see if there is someone who needs your help. God will not forget your kindness. Ever.
Know I’m Praying for You,
Sherry
Music for your Playlist: You Lift Me Up by The Afters
Morning Thoughts
6:15. That was the time blinking at me when my alarm went off yesterday. I stumbled out of bed, found my towel, and groggily checked my bloodshot eyes in the mirror while the shower water warmed up – all while silently moaning about how it was too early to be awake.
I have too many mornings like that.
It wasn’t until half-way through my shower that a thought hit me: this day is God’s gift to me!
My sleep-deprived yawns still weren’t entirely convinced of the beauty of that fact, so I started to purposefully thank God for the day ahead.
“Thank you, God, that you have given me a new day to do your work. And thank you for each person that you have already placed in my life today for me to talk with or encourage. Thank you that you have given me purpose and hope because of your work on the cross.”
As my mind focused on God’s blessings instead of on the early morning, my body began to lose its weariness. I kept praying.
“Thank you that I was able to sleep in a comfortable bed. Thank you for the ice cream I ate last night. Thank you that I get to drive to work before it gets too hot outside.”
By the time I got out of the shower, I was energized and ready to start my day on a good note. Instead of dragging through my quiet time with barely open eyes, I was eager to find God’s promises to me for this special day.
Will you start the morning challenge? Tomorrow when you wake up, start thanking God for his blessings in your life, no matter how small they might seem. Give it a few minutes and see how it affects your mood. It can’t hurt. =)
- Aimee
Introducing Megan Maxwell…
Psalm 45:10-11
“Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father’s house. The King is enthralled by your beauty, honor Him, for He is your Lord.”
en·thrall:
1.Capture the fascinated attention of
I remember the first time I read this verse- the summer between my junior and senior year of college. I remember so vividly my eyes filling up with tears as I read over and over again…”The King is enthralled by your beauty.”
These verses broke me. I, like maybe many of you, felt unworthy of this kind of adoration. For so long I had been living life according to my own agenda; despite knowing wrong from right, I had chosen to turn my back on everything and everyone that vowed their love and support for me. I found life to be easier if I simply shut the world out, being careful to not let anyone or anything get too close to me. My friends thought I was fiercely independent, guys were infatuated as they only thought I was playing an intense game of “hard to get” and enjoyed the benefits of a relationship with “no strings attached.” Despite swearing that I would never be like my father, a man who pursued affair after affair, I began cheating on my boyfriend. He talked about how much he loved me, how he wanted to be together forever. He was the sweetest, most precious thing in my life and yet he still was not enough. I told my friends that he was too boring and too stable, not enough fun and not enough excitement for this chaos-craving girl. So, I turned to the guys who reeked of emotional destruction and disrespect. I thought I could play the game and not get hurt. I was a fool. I was a coward. I lived my life based on my own justifications; I thought that because of all that I had been through with my parents’ divorce that I was entitled to act destructively. Why should I live righteously if my own parents could not?
If your heart is harboring resentment and anger from all that you have been through and you are looking for that something or someone to take away your pain then let me tell you from personal experience- the peace and solace that you seek is never going to come from your dad, your boyfriend, or the guy you are hooking up with. Likewise, if depression is what you are struggling with, no drug, drink, or self deprivation mechanism is going to quench the hunger in your heart.
Today, I beg of you, to find comfort in the message from Psalms 45:10-11: Listen my daughter: forget the pain your earthly father has caused you. Forget the pain of your parents’ divorce. For I am your heavenly Father, and I am the only one who can take away your pain… let me heal your hurt. For you are my beautiful creation and I am actively pursuing you, I am actively begging you, come experience my unconditional love and fulfillment.
Lifting each one of you up in prayer today.
Love,
M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzfPHnoT0-0
Please Stop
hurting yourself. Cutting, anorexia, bulimia, and picking are outward displays of internal pain. Teen girls are usually the victims as they struggle with pain caused by circumstances outside their control like turmoil at home. These problems are serious and not likely to be conquered alone.
If you’re struggling with one of these issues, I have good news for you. Jesus can and will restore you from this destructive behavior. He healed lepers, He healed prostitutes, and He healed the blind. The same Jesus who healed so many when He was here on earth will do no less for you. What’s required of you? Just believe. Believe your Heavenly Father can take away the desire to inflict pain on yourself.
“Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’ Jesus turned and saw her, ‘Take heart daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed from that moment.” Matthew 9:20-22
Reach out to Jesus like this woman did. You’re His daughter, too, so ask Him to make you whole again.
Encouragement:
You’re so precious to God. Please take the following steps and begin your healing process today.
1) Admit to God you have a problem. Name the problem and ask for His help.
2) Pray specifically about your struggle at least once a day.
3) Seek a Christian adult whom you can confide to share your situation.
I’m willing and able to connect you with a trained professional to communicate personally or via email. Contact me directly through this site and I will help you.
Know I’m praying for you,
Sherry
Music for your iPod: Healing Begins by Tenth Avenue North
”http://www.youtube.com/embed/BFUHrXfuNU4”
Just Trust
A broken heart. We all know what it feels like – that piercing feeling that sears your chest when someone hurts you. Just like touching something that burns, you pull away from the person so that it won’t happen again. You become a little more cautious each time, slowly burying your heart under a layer of distrust.
Broken hearts are caused by trusting in broken people.
So who can we entrust with our fears, our joys, our hopes?
There is only one person who will never, never betray our trust. God is the solid rock that we can build our lives around without the tiniest fear of it giving way. Proverbs 3: 5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (NIV).
Lately I have been learning more about what that means. When things seem to be going wrong, or when you are faced with a tough problem, you can deposit all of your life into the hands of Jesus to do with as he will. You can trust him to do what will be the best possible thing for you – whether you know it or not.
He will never hurt us. Never. On the contrary, he is there to comfort and encourage when we are hurt by other people. As our security is found in Him, we are not as disappointed when other people fail us.
Take a minute and think about what you are relying on for support in your life. Is there a way you can put another part of your life in God’s hands? He will guard and keep your heart as you open it to him.
- Aimee