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Fasting and Prayer

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Once again, our church is starting the year with a season of fasting and prayer. It seems like many individuals and churches make this decision to begin the year by purging out all physical and spiritual toxins. It’s never a bad idea! It has taken me several days to ramp up to this in 2019. It’s always challenging for me because my birthday lands on January 2nd and of course, there is cake! Last year I attempted to use every birthday food and drink coupon I received before I started the fast. This year, what slowed me down wasn’t the coupons but rather my hearts desire to do something that would surrender my ideas and allow me to open up to the Lords in a fresh, new way. People always talk about their will power to fast anything. I didn’t want to give in to my wants. I wanted to move from "let my will be done" to "Thy will be done". I remember when Jesus went into the Garden of Gethsemane and was praying to the Lord about the path in front of him. He prayed, “Father…
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Get Your Hopes Up

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Ephesians 1:11 It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
What a great way to begin the week...knowing that God has his eye on us and He has some design plans for our lives! Sometimes I think to myself, "I know that there is a reason for everything but sometimes I wish I knew what the reason was!" He knows the best way to get all of those things he placed in me out and into the world to glorify himself. So my role is simple: let him do what he desires with what he made...ME! I love the line in this text about getting our hopes up. I used to be the type of person that always expected the worst so that when anything but the worst happened, it all seemed good. All that caused me was a great deal of time expecting no good things. In Christ we find out who we are …
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A Proverb a Day

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Click on this link to watch😀 #saturdaysmiles
Proverbs 1:2-6 NLT  Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. 3  Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. 4  These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. 5  Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance 6  by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles.



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Don't be Sad

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Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that occurs at a certain time of the year, usually in the winter. Symptoms can occur in the late autumn and winter months and then go into remission in the spring and summer. Not surprisingly, people who live in places with long winter nights are at greater risk of SAD. In fact 5 percent of the U.S. population experiences SAD. And rates of SAD are even higher in northern states where there’s less daylight in the winter.  That's just so SAD. In reality, the weather is just a small part of what can lead people to isolate and insulate themselves from others. Tough work conditions, financial struggles, and lots of critical and negative people can also make you sad. There is a way to help turn that frown upside down! Get outdoors and take a walk in the sun. Get up early and spend time with the Son. (Jesus) Light is one of the key treatments for depression and anxiety. Maybe that is why Jesus wanted us to be the light of the world?…
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Let it Pour

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Could you take a few moments today to let the incredible truth of this scripture to sink in? Every spiritual blessing has already been lavished upon you! EVERY blessing poured out all over you as a love gift. Now that should make you shout a bit! This week I have been reminded how much God loves me and how much He wants to bless my life. I also realize that those blessings are tied to His people. In other words, He calls me to serve Him and connects me to His people. When I run with His crowd I see His power and glory show up in every area of my life. Every spiritual blessing...every part of my life...every day of my life. Let this soak in today and then move out into the world to connect with the people that God has placed there. Move in His power. It's the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and right now, it is moving through you! Praying for you!
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Can YOU Feel It?

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The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, Announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners. God sent me to announce the year of his grace— a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies— and to comfort all who mourn, To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion, give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, Messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit. Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness” planted by God to display his glory. They’ll rebuild the old ruins, raise a new city out of the wreckage. They’ll start overon the ruined cities, take the rubble left behind and make it new. You’ll hire outsiders to herd your flocks and foreigners to work your fields, But you’ll have the title “Priests of God,” honored as ministers of our God. You’ll feast on the bounty of nations, you’ll bask in their glory. Because you got a double dose of trouble and more than your share of contempt, Yo…
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Do to Others

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Matthew 7:12 “Do to others what you would have them to do to you. This sums up the Law and the Prophets. Now that's some good counsel right there! Imagine a world where we all operated under this principle. Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you!  Can you picture an office space where people treat each other like they want to be treated? How about a church where the people actually honor each other and are praying for the success of their brothers and sisters in the Lord? It may seem a bit up unreachable but if we approached our time with others intentionally behaving like we want them to behave around us, things would be different. It begins with one conversation, one meeting, one day. You want people to be kind to you, be kind. You want people to support you, support them. That about sums it up!
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