My God My Everything

Blessed is ___________ if she is poor in spirit, for hers is the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5:3 For if _____________ wants to save her life, she will lose it, but if ___________ loses their life for me, she will find it.  What good will it be for ____________ to gain the whole world, yet forfeit her soul? Or what can she give in exchange for their soul? – Matthew 16:25-26  ______________ cried, and the Lord heard her; He saved her out of all her troubles. – Psalm 34:6 Have mercy on __________, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out her transgressions.…

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5:3 To be poor in spirit means that we recognize our utter spiritual bankruptcy before God.  We understand that we have absolutely nothing of worth to offer Him and that no amount of good works or deeds will be able to save us.  Being poor in spirit is admitting that, because of our sin, we are completely destitute spiritually and we desperately need a savior. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus was teaching that, no matter your status in life, you must recognize your spiritual poverty, your need for redemption, before you can come…

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 Temptation is something we all experience on a daily basis. At times it can feel overwhelming and all consuming. We pray for strength to resist and overcome so that we can experience freedom and victory. But do we really want that when it’s offered? That might seem like a strange question, but the hard truth is found in today’s passage. God said that He…

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 This week has been one of experiencing the love of God. By experiencing I mean being confronted by His love in the way of discipline. The Bible tells us that the Lord disciplines those He loves with the desire to refine them. Needless to say, I need refining. I’ve been reading, “Slaying the Giants in…

You have no reason for fear when you answer God’s call; you have every reason to be afraid when you put your life in your own hands. Dr. Paul David Tripp Recently I received a call from God for a couple of projects that He would like for me to do. They won’t be easy, but they will be worth it. Along with the call, He also showered me with encouragement. Below are the words that He provided and I hope they will also encourage you in all that God is calling you to do. “The One who called you created the world and holds it together by His will.…

Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:40 I had a wonderful God Day the other day. It was a day filled with learning, putting the pieces together, and experiencing God’s presence. It started with prayer and asking God to open my mind to understand scripture. Then continued with time in His Word and reading from each of the bible studies that He gave me for this season in my life. It was incredible how everything worked together. In the Defiant Joy study, the author…

“Worry is an old man with bended head, carrying a load of feathers he thinks are lead.” – Corrie Ten Boon The ever-changing weather for the last month has been a constant reminder that seasons are shifting. Spring and summer are on the way and they are bringing with them, new adventures and opportunities. In my line of work that means the slower season has arrived. Every time this season arrives I feel a bit anxious because of the change of pace. The work phone doesn’t ring as much and I have more free time in my day. I can either let those two things worry me or I can…

Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 Years ago my oldest son walked away from his faith. It was heart-wrenching to see and I spent many hours crying out to God in prayer. God responded to those prayers by telling me to study the story of the prodigal son where I received clear direction to keep praying, watching, and loving unconditionally. I was also given a mental picture to hold on to, a picture of my son returning with his wife and daughters. God reassured me that salvation would come from…

The day before Easter a sweet friend of mine went to be with the Lord. The thought of her spending Easter with Jesus brought such comfort and peace. At her funeral there were other precious moments to be witnessed. Her daughter who has down syndrome gave her a heartfelt hug and kiss as she said, “Good-bye Momma,” which touched the heart of everyone in attendance and on her announcement was a declaration of her faith that brought a new depth of understanding to communion with God. Her life’s motto, “Come what may…..I am blessed, along with a poem she had written several years prior were written in the program and…

The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. Luke 8:24 My husband has a hat that reads, ” Who’s in the boat with you?” It’s a beautiful reminder that Jesus is ever present with us as we experience the storms of life and what a wonderful thing it is to have the storms calmed and the fear removed. On Good Friday I experienced this stillness, the calming of my storms in a different way. While the waves were not raging around me, my mind was swirling with…