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“but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” Luke‬ ‭2:10‬ ‭ As Thanksgiving has ended and the Christmas season begins we can all rejoice. I love the Christmas season most of all! It's not about the gifts, music, food or decorations although I love those. It's about finding peace knowing Jesus was born to save us all. It's about the joy of God sending a child to save the world through Him giving His life for us. We are saved through Jesus. The Birth of Jesus is the most miraculous thing ever for us. He has saved us in every aspect. This Christmas season, while you enjoy everything that comes with it, don't forget the real reason for this season. That being Jesus, He is the reason we celebrate. This season is all about Jesus! Here are some verses to reflect on today. “This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took plac...

“Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭9:15‬ ‭ We should take time to thank God for all of the blessings we have. We are each blessed in our own way. Today as I sat at the table with my family, I realized I have so much to be grateful for. I have a roof over my head, a family I love, friends that are like family, animals that are my family, a car that runs well and a Savior who never gives up on me. We should be grateful for the small things, like going to the store, driving down the road, having people to surround ourselves with. Today, don't let the day go by without thanking God for all the blessings you have. He has given us these things and we need to remember that without Him we would not have them. Here are some verses to reflect on today. “I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory!” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118:21‬ “We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭1:2‬ ‭ “All of your works will thank you, Lor...

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭ I was driving down the road the other day and I began to think about how something I was praying for. I was thinking about how a year isn't very long and I needed that prayer answered by then. I felt God speak to me and say, "But did you think you could be here last year?" I then realized over the last year God has done miracle after miracle in my life. He has done amazing things for me. Who is to say our biggest dreams cannot come true in the next year? We need to stop putting a timetable on God and let Him work on His own time. Today, don't doubt what God can do for you over the next year. He is going to bless you in ways you did not even see possible. Here are some verses to reflect on today. “If those who live there are peaceful, the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you.” Luke‬...

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”James‬ ‭4:8‬  What is the one thing that we tend to forget? To spend time with God. The most important thing in our lives is God. Why is it that we can spend hours at work, playing video games, cleaning, cooking and so much more but we cannot spend time with God? It's so important to spend time with God, because it doesn't only grow us spiritually but also grows us as a person. Today, make time for God. Don't make excuses. Life is busy but we can never be too busy for God. Here are some verses to reflect on today. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Philippians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭ “Never stop praying.” 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:17‬ ‭ “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:18‬ ‭ ...

““I will answer you and all your friends, too.” Job‬ ‭35:4‬ If it's pulling you away from God, then it was never from God in the first place. We tend to try and make excuses for those in our lives that pull us away from God. I have had to come to the realization that those God has placed in my life will uplift, encourage, and bring me closer to Him. Those who are sent from God are going to set the example in my life. We like to water things down saying that it doesn't matter who we are around. If that were true, why did Jesus heal people due to their friend's faith? He seen the prayer of the friends. God sees and He hears those prayers. Today, look at the fruits that your friend's bare. Ask yourself, are they bringing you closer to God? It matters who you choose to surround yourself with! Here are some verses to reflect on today. “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” Proverbs‬ ‭17:17‬ ‭ “If one person falls, the other can reach out a...

“And especially pray that I will be able to come back to you soon.” Hebrews‬ ‭13:19‬ ‭ I read this quote today that said that nothing God has for you that you will ever miss. That is so far from the truth. When Lot and his wife were cast out of the city, God told them to not look back no matter what. Lot's life looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. If God did not give us the emotions to miss something, then we would not ever look back on the past. God knows we are going to miss things, people and places. That is a part of being human. Missing things are a part of emotions. Just because you miss something does not mean it wasn't from God. You can miss something, and it still be a blessing. Today, ask God to show you the things worth missing, not everything is meant for you to look back on. Some things in life aren't meant to focus on in the past like Lot, other things are something for us to be hopeful for. Here are some verses to reflect on today. “But Lot’s wife lo...

“Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭ How many times in life do we get days or the times confused and miss something that we really wanted to be a part of? It's really aggrieving, isn't it? I know when it happens to me, I find myself feeling down and out, and sometimes angry at myself. I know we each deal with things like this. The good thing is about the return of Jesus, we are always being prepared by the Bible. It tells us to stay ready for His return not to get ready. It says be ready. Today, don't get ready, stay ready. That is one event we do not want to miss out on. God never intended any of us to perish but all of us to live an enteral life. We have the choice to find God. Here are some verses to reflect on today. “But Jesus told them, “I will be with you only a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me.”John‬ ‭7:33‬ ‭ “Then everyone will see the Son of Man co...

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:33‬ ‭ The weather has gone cold here, it's normally my favorite season. However, this time it seems different, like I can't get warm. I'm always cold. It got me to thinking about how life would be miserably cold without Jesus. We could never survive even a moment without Jesus. All that we have and all that we are is through Jesus. Try and think about what God truly gives us through Jesus, peace, comfort, joy, hope, strength, healing, health, patience, goodness, faithfulness and so much more. A life without Jesus would run cold immediately, we would have nothing. All that we are because of Jesus. Today, make sure that your life is not turning cold. Stay in a close realtionship with Jesus knowing He is everything for us. Here are some verses to relfect on today. “She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes.” Proverbs‬ ‭31:21‬ ‭...

“but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” Luke‬ ‭2:10‬ ‭ Joy in around the corner. When I think of the Christmas season, I think of happy memories, everyone being kind, others spreading kindness, and love all around. It makes me so excited to think of Christmas time. We often find ourselves in a position that we need joy, the greatest gift the world ever received was Jesus. He is our peace, hope, joy. and comfort. He is all that we need. Next time you find yourself searching for that joy that we all search for around the holidays, remind yourself that same joy is found in Jesus all year around. We don't have to wait for a holiday to feel any of that when Jesus rules our lives. Today, ask Jesus to give you those emotions and feelings and watch what God does. Here are some verses to reflect on today. “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” John...

“When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭4:39‬ ‭ We often pray for a breakthrough. I have many times in my life. I often picture storm clouds rolling in and sudden clear skies when I picture a breakthrough. I think of how although life looks stormy God can make it all change in an instant. When we hear about the story of Jonah, He was swallowed by a large fish, but when God was ready, He got the fish to throw Jonah onto the land. When God is ready and feels it is time you too will have a breakthrough. I was in a waiting season not that long ago, I seen no change. I kept praying for a breakthrough. I woke up one morning, nothing felt different but God done a miracle and gave me that breakthrough that day. We should wake up and thank God for blessing us with a beautiful day each morning. Today, get ready for that breakthrough! It's going to happen; God hasn't forgotten you...

“The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive.” Proverbs‬ ‭16:21‬ ‭ We often think that our words and what we say to people doesn't matter, but it does. If words did not matter, we would not pray with words. We use words for prayer. Something I learned a few years ago was what we speak is how things will go. Growing up my mom always taught be to never lie about a sickness because I would find myself sick. As a child I remember lying that I had a headache once, later on that day I did have one. That might not seem like much, but I learned that day that what I do say matters. Your words have power. When speaking to, and about others or even yourself, choose to show kindness with your words. Let what you say always be uplifting. Today, uplift others and yourself with your words. It truly does matter. Your words can help or destroy others. Use your words for the greater good! Here are some verses to reflect on today. “Wise words satisfy like a good meal...

“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” Hebrews‬ ‭11:1‬ ‭ We can often hear the shift in things before we see them. It's like an Avalanche; you hear it before you see it. We cannot go by what we see, faith is not like that. Having faith means to believe without seeing. God spoke something to me a while back, I seen no way for it to happen. My gut, feelings and vision were telling me things would not go well. God spoke. I heard it before I seen it. That is often how God works. He will speak life into your circumstances. Even when you cannot see what God is doing, know that it is good. Believe the words that God speaks even when you don't see it yet. Just focus on God's promises, not on what you're seeing. Today, trust what God has said, not what you've seen. Here are some verses to reflect on today. “By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from an...

“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ” Philippians‬ ‭3:8‬  ‭Everything in life has an answer. We question so many things and yet we can never fully understand. We question the way that trees were first formed, or how the first human looked. We have all of these questions with no way to answer them. Have you ever thought about the fact that God is the only one who knows the answer to it all? There has never and will never be a question that He cannot answer. We find ourselves in doubt of things often, but why not go to God for the wisdom? Wisdom in God is so much more than we comprehend at times. Wehn you first go to God; He will give you the answers that you could never find us without Him or even comprehend without His help. Today, in the mysteries of life ask God for the answer. He is the all-knowing. He can tel...

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans‬ ‭3:23‬ ‭ In life we have no do overs. When we mess up that is just how it goes, we cannot go back and change it. Living with mistakes can often be difficult but we have to remember that God's forgiveness can change everything. We don't need to walk around worrying about the fact that we cannot undo the mistakes we make. Instead, we need to focus on the fact that we are forgiven. Today, focus more on God's forgiveness than the mistakes you have made. Nothing in life cannot be unforgivable, the Bible says the only unforgiveable sin is blaspheme. Other than that, we just have to ask for forgiveness. Here are some verses to reflect on today. “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:9‬ ‭ ““I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven...

““You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17:20‬ ‭ You're going to make it, trust in God. Your problems seem big but know that God is bigger. Have you ever noticed that a mountain seems so much larger up close? That's sometimes how we view our problems. We are standing at a mountain and looking at it, God is above it and sees the way over or around it. Know that every problem you face God already knows the answer to. I have learned when things happen that we cannot sit and stress over them, instead we should let go, and trust that God has already figured it all out. Today, don't stare at your problems. Talk to God, tell Him what you need and watch how He changes things. Here are some verses to reflect on today. “I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be l...

“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:1‬ ‭ There is one prayer that I have always prayed in moments of confusion and found myself praying it. God never fails to answer it. There are a few steps before you pray this that you have to do. First, you need to pray with an open mind, secondly pray with a sincere heart trusting God with whatever the answer might be and lastly don't manipulate the outcome. If you pray like that and ask God to remove anyone not meant to be in your life and watch friendships and relationships end. I done this one time and the next day one of the people closest to me ended the friendship. They randomly said they needed space. In any other situation I would have normally tried to fix things, make it work or even figure out why. Knowing I had prayed that prayer changed it all. I knew that it was God and that the friendship needed to end. Later I did find my way back to being this individual...

“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.” 1 Timothy‬ ‭2:1‬ ‭ Have you ever interceded in prayer for someone? I think one of the most beautiful things is praying for someone without them knowing. Recently I had this thought come to me that a friend of mine had a wreck, although I had not heard or seen anything like that I began to pray on their behalf. I asked God to spare their life and to please rebuke this from happening. Within a few minutes I got a text letting me know they arrived at home and was safe. Although nothing happened, I feel like in that moment it was meant for me to pray for them. Today, pray on other's that you love behalf when you think of them. You never know the change you are making in their lives. Here are some verses to reflect on today. “I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,” Ephesians‬ ‭1:16‬ ‭ “We always thank God for all of you and pray for ...

“Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9:15‬ ‭ When God has you in a season of waiting start thanking Him. Why is it that we always wait until God opens the door to thank Him? When we truly have faith that God will make it happen, we believe it with all that we have, so we thank Him ahead of time. We thank Him in the moments that it seems impossible. We thank Him when we see no hope, or when things seem to be at a standstill. They say in the eye of a hurricane everything is calm and quiet; I feel as though it's the same in the waiting. It's calm and quiet but the end of it is near. We have to start by thanking Him for what He is yet to do. God loves to give to a thankful heart. Today, thank Him for the doors that are about to open and watch how He changes things for the better for you. The waiting doesn't last forever, but the blessing does! Here are some verses to reflect on today. “I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory!” ‭...

““Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.” Luke‬ ‭6:35‬ ‭ Sometimes people hurt us to the point where we feel like we will never love the same again. They take advantage of the way we freely love and use it to their advantage. We have to remember that we have to love those the same way we love people who are good to us. What kind of love are we representing if we only love someone when it is convenient for us. We have to freely love just like Jesus. No matter how many times we have failed Him, He still loves us the same. Why would we be here to set the example of Jesus if we don't love without reasoning then that isn't showing the love of Jesus. The Bible tells us over and over that we have to forgive seventy times seven, and we also have to forgive others to be forgiven. When ...

“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.” Ephesians‬ ‭3:18‬ ‭ We dream of having someone that will love us through our darkest times and in our best of times. We want someone that will show us they love us by their actions not just their words. The most important thing is we tend to forget that Jesus has done just that. He has loved us since He formed us in our mother's wombs. He has loved us no matter how many times we have failed Him. He has loved us through every moment, and most of all He has proved it with His actions time and time again. He leaves the ninety-nine to find the one, while He also welcomes us back with open arms. He never lets us forget the way He loves us by saving us from the sins we get ourselves into. Have you ever noticed that every time we mess up, He doesn't throw it in our faces? Instead, He welcomes us back with a warm hug and forgiveness. He proves His love everyda...

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭ There has always been something about the season of Thanksgiving and Christmas that just makes me feel so much joy. I have always waited all year just to celebrate it! I tend to catch myself trying to rush it all year until the month of and wishing it was slow down. How many times in life do we rush God’s blessings but when it’s happening we wish time would stop? I feel that it often teaches us to live in the now and appreciate what is not what is to come. We all have dreams we hope for someday but why don’t we appreciate the moment we’re currently in. Today, stop and appreciate the moment. Don’t let time pass you by while you’re busy wishing on something that might never come. Things are often shorter than we think. Some of the best moments are now and ahead of you. God has amazing plans for you. Here are some verses to reflect on today. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about ev...

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” 1 John‬ ‭1:9‬ ‭ We think that forgiveness is meant for others or from God, but sometimes, it is forgiveness for ourselves. We cannot carry our baggage forever. Forgiving ourselves can often be one of the hardest battles for us, but it's something that is needed in life. If we carry the baggage of shame and guilt then we will never be who we are meant to be. The moment you ask God for forgiveness, He forgave you. Why would you think you're better than God to hold it against yourself? Today, when you feel ashamed, guilty or like you're carrying too much know that God forgave you when you gave your life to Him. Now it's your turn to forgive yourself. That sin is long forgotten and your forgiveness is here.  Here are some verses to reflect on today. “But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:15‬ ‭ “But w...

“Then he touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.”” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9:29‬ ‭ Because of your faith, it will happen. I look at many Bible stories where there was no sign of the answer to prayers coming, but they did not give up on God. God then answered their prayers. Think about Abraham and Sarah, they prayed for a Child. God blessed them with one, even after Abraham took things into his own hands and had another child. The woman with the issue came and grabbed Jesus' cloak, she was healed because of her faith. She knew if she could just touch Him she would be freed. If we took every situation like that to God, imagine the number of miracles we would see. If we can just really get in prayer and ask for that miracle our faith will make it happen. Today, your faith will bring those prayers to be answered, healing, and blessing. Here are some verses to reflect on today. “And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.”” Luke‬ ‭18:42‬ ‭...

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭ Be thankful! I have learned that God blesses a thankful heart. I have found that being thankful and seeing the bright side really does help. It shows that I trust God even when I see no hope. I was praying over a situation out of my control once, I would pray for a sign and I kept getting small ones but I thought they were convenient and seemed like I was making them up but they weren't. I kept praying for a bigger sign. The night before the breakthrough God gave me a dream and I knew it was from God. It had to do with my ministry and exactly what God was telling me He would do. Then I woke up. That day I felt those emotions, and I then trusted God. I was still worried, but I knew what God had shown me. That evening what God spoke was right. Today, when God speaks trust in Him. Don't worry. God always has your best interest i...

“You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.” Proverbs‬ ‭19:21‬ ‭ I am from the United States of America. The Presidental election was today. When we worry over who will be in control of our country we have to remember that the truth is no human being is in control. God is in control. I do believe that God chooses who He thinks would be best, but it's up to us to vote for it. We have to vote and pray that it works out. I feel that God can use a President for His good. I have been very open with mt political views, but I feel a blog about Jesus is not the place to state that. I know that no matter who would have won or has won, it will change the fact that God is in control. Imagine the confidence we would have if we walked around daily just thinking about how God is in control. Today, choose to remind yourself that no matter the outcome of anything, it happens by God's grace. God is in control of it all! Here are some verses to reflect on today! “Who can comma...

“Let the whole world glorify the Lord; let it sing his praise.” Isaiah‬ ‭42:12‬ ‭ I grew up an only child, the child of a pastor. I was raised in a Church. Before walking, I would hold my nose like I was being baptized. I was raised up all things Jesus. My childhood dream was to be a preacher and sing songs of praise. I remember one Christmas my Dad built me a pulpit to preach at home and sing at, and they got me a karaoke machine to go with it. I found a video yesterday where I was preaching. I couldn't read numbers or words, but I could tell the story of Adam and Eve, I could sing His praises in worship songs I had learned. If a child who barely understands life can do it why can't we? When writing this I realized that this is me preaching, I preach every day in these blogs. I might not be at a pulpit but someone somewhere will read one of these and find a relationship with God. We should be loud about Jesus and His love for us. We should shout His praises. Today, whatever yo...

“When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him.” Ecclesiastes‬ ‭5:4‬ ‭ We are all guilty of making a promise that we truthfully intend to keep, but cannot end up keeping. We should always try to keep our promises. I had just recently seen this verse. It showed me that God takes the words we say to those around us seriously. We should always be honest and hard-working in keeping promises. We never want to fail those around us. We always do our best to keep our promises. I have added "God willing" to my vocabulary instead of making a promise I potentially cannot keep. If something is already done, like I promise I meant to do that or something I do say promise, I know I can go through with that promise. Today, be careful with your words. Be slow to promise when you potentially cannot keep it. Here are some verses to reflect on today. “It is better to say nothing than to make a promise ...

““Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.” Luke‬ ‭12:27‬ ‭ When God is on your side you always come out on top. Nothing God does for us is ever under what we need. I had someone tell me a story recently, they had a bill that needed to be paid. They needed a good bit of money. Someone gifted them the exact amount not knowing they needed it. God didn't give them one cent of what they needed. God does the same for us, He never gives us less than we need. We can look at so many books in the Bible where God done the same for them. Look at the Israelites who God gave food every morning. He always remembered. The Bible says if He cares for the lilies, imagine how much He cares for us. Know that God has not and will never forget you. Here are some verses to reflect on today. “Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—wheth...

““Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” Matthew‬ ‭10:32‬ ‭ Stand firm in what you believe in. It's not real to believe in something if it wavers on whomever you are around. If you're truly a Christian you can be a Christian around anyone. You should never hide your religion, but being gentle and not pushing people is also important. I have learned to be more and more open that I believe in Jesus, I am a Christian and proud of it. Have you ever been ashamed of God? I know it's difficult sometimes to be the one person in the room who doesn't do certain things or say certain things, but it's okay to be that person. In school, friendships, relationships, or anywhere I was always the first person to talk about my faith. I have realized that why would I be quiet about the greatest thing that has or ever will happen to me? Today, be open about your faith in Jesus. Don't be afraid of what others might t...

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭ God will show you everything He has been doing behind the scenes. We tend to look at the present, not the future, which can be good but also bad at the same time. When we focus on the now we aren't worried about the future, but when we are too caught up in the now we forget that God always has something amazing for us ahead. God doesn't forget to bring the blessings to us, when the trials are over we find the beauty in the small things in life. God doesn't think that small things are the only things for us, but we have to learn to be content with what we do have before we can receive more. Today, start by being grateful for what you have but know God has even bigger and better for you. The now is not forever, but better things to come. God's best is for you! Don't wait forever, know that God will do the very best ...