Category: Faith

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?  Psalm 8:3&4

2-3 min read

Most of us have heard the saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” And….most of us know that this is NOT true at all! The words you speak can either build up or tear down. This is true for words you speak to others and also to yourself!

God created the universe and everything in it by His words! That’s got to show something about how important and powerful words are!

So…. First of all, take a moment to think before you speak. Be quick to listen, and slow to speak….

Ask yourself, “Is what I am about to say true? Necessary? Kind?”

We often use words like always or never and more times then not, the statement is not true. Do they really NEVER listen to you? Are they really ALWAYS late? Probably not. Also, those words don’t address the present situation and they express little hope for change in the future.

Your words can change someone’s whole day! A little encouragement goes a LONG way, yet so does a little criticism… So, be intentional and kind with your words! Proverbs 15:4 states: A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

I challenge you to be conscious of the words you use. Do you say I can’t, I have to, I need to… Just a little shift can make a huge difference in you mindset. For starters, instead of “I have to”, say, “I choose to” or “I get to.”

For example, I stay away from processed foods, gluten and most sugar (I do not have allergies to these foods, I just don’t think they help maintain a healthy body). People often say, “You can’t eat that, right?” To that I answer, “I could eat that, I just choose not to”.

I don’t HAVE to work out in the morning, I GET to workout in the morning! (Not everyone has the opportunity or ability to). You don’t NEED to go to your child’s sporting event, you GET to! 🙂

You can also change what you view as problems as opportunities for growth! Be careful not to sabotage yourself with your words. “I can’t cook” could be changed to “I’m learning to cook better” or “This is going to be so hard” to “This is an interesting challenge.” See what I mean? Choose your words wisely!

Gracious words are like a honeycomb,
    sweetness to the soul and health to the body

Proverbs 16:24

A message of hope!

My words are not perfect but I hope this message gets the point across! God LOVES you! He sent His son to die for YOU! So that you can be in a right relationship with the living God! AND IT IS AWESOME!!

There is more (much more!) I could share about Jesus but I tried to make this short-ish.

*I did not make this clear but when someone has put their trust in Jesus’ sacrifice for their sin, and they are forgiven, it does not mean that they will not sin again. We are ALL sinners! The Holy Spirit living in us guides us, convicts us, and empowers us to fight sin and try to walk in obedience to God.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Roman 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Hello!

I’ve been meeting and talking to a lot of people about Jesus and many of them seem to have a desire to know more but aren’t exactly sure how to go about that. So… I wanted to share a few resources that have helped me on this incredible journey of getting to know God and understanding how much he truly loves us. 

My first recommendation is to pray… Ask God to open your mind and your heart to his truth.  Then…read his Word. (I turn my phone off when I read or put it on airplane mode so there will be no distractions). I like having an actually book to hold (currently I am reading the ESV study Bible) but there are tons of free apps that allow you to highlight, write notes, etc. Starting in the gospel of John is my recommendation…I love learning what Jesus taught! And the more I read and learn about the Bible, the more I believe! I keep praying that God will strengthen my faith and he keeps doing just that : )

If you have that one friend, neighbor, coworker, great aunt, etc that has always encouraged you to know God, reach out to them! They will be SO excited about your desire and will want to help guide you! Hopefully, they can point you to a church that is committed to teaching God’s Word. This link is another resource to find a good church https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/churches/ Being connected to a church family is WONDERFUL! Most people are so welcoming, loving, and eager to help in any way. You will feel a sense of belonging and be encouraged by the one another.

—Sermon Jams!  These are short, powerful parts of sermons with music and visuals added to them.  Some are only a few minutes, check them out on youtube!

You also can watch full sermons online. A few of my favorite preachers are Francis Chan and Derek Prince. They are so passionate about the Lord and very knowledgeable about the Bible. So…you don’t need to wait until Sunday to hear a great message and best of all…you can watch from your couch… in your pjs!

–Christian Music!  I used to roll my eyes when my Mom would say, “you should try listening to some Christian music.” I thought it was lame….but now…it’s pretty much all I listen to!  I put it on while cleaning or cooking and all of a sudden, those sometimes mundane activities turn into worship! I use Pandora and choose the contemporary christian channel.  As you listen you might find an artist you really like then you can add that station. (Lauren Daigle is one of my favorites) There are even some Christian rappers…so whatever type of music you like, there is something for everyone!

I love K-Love (http://www.klove.com) while I’m in the car! Their catchphrase is “positive and encouraging K Love”  You really cannot help but be encouraged by this music.

Update 2020:

Before I begin reading a new book in the Bible, I head over to Bibleproject.com and take a few minutes to check out their neat, hand-illustrated visual overview of that particular book. I really love this project and bet you will too! (Also available on YouTube; bible project + name of book)

Check out The Chosen on YouTube or on The Chosen app. This show is the first multi-season tv show about the life of Jesus and it’s really cool!

I hope you find these resources helpful and remember God’s awesome promise in James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.<