Tag: prayer

When All Else Fails

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This weeks blog is really for me.  When there is so much going on in our lives and around us, it can be difficult to remain grounded and remain true to what we believe in.  My belief is that God will never leave me nor forsake me no matter how much life’s circumstances may make me think differently.  It is precisely during these times and during these trials that I must learn to rely more on God and less on myself and my own capabilities.  Life has taught me that when you do not feel as close to God as you once did you must remember who moved.  In every case God has remained constant, it is us who forget that God is Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient.

I can speak for myself that lately it has been one uphill battle after another.  It has rained and it has poured.  However, I have still enjoyed the small blessings that we so often take for granted such as life, health and strength.  Breath in my body and activity of my limbs, food on the table and clothes on my back, a job to go to and a car to get me there.  Often it can be difficult to see the masterpiece God is painting in your life and it can be hard to remember the little things.

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What I want to encourage each and every person to do this week is to think on the small things.  Think about the things that we often take for granted or neglect to be thankful for.  We sometimes need reminded that it is God, not life that has the ultimate and final work.  We have often been reminded that there is no sorrow here on earth that heaven cannot heal. Though your present pain may be real, God’s promise is what can heal and ultimately take away the pain.  Remain steadfast on your journey and remember when all else fails that God is in control!.

The Spirit of Stuck

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Ephesians 6:10-13 NIV

Put on all of God’s armor. Then you can stand firm against the devil’s evil plans. Our fight is not against human beings. It is against the rulers, the authorities and the powers of this dark world. It is against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly world. So put on all of God’s armor. Evil days will come. But you will be able to stand up to anything. And after you have done everything you can, you will still be standing.

I believe that I can safely say that we have all felt stuck at some point in our lives. Whether we felt as if our back was against the wall, we were fighting to keep out head above water, or it just seemed that there was no way out, we were just stuck. For people such as myself who live in Chicago, it is like navigating the winter storms with bad tires. Once you are snowed in, you have to either work your way out or wait for a change in the weather or you are just stuck. What do we do then when we get stuck, I am guilty, I whine, complain, fuss, fret and worry, all to no avail.

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This can be especially true this time of year when people encounter the Winter blues or the Winter blah’s. Let’s be mindful not to allow the circumstances to control us. Remember that we have the power to overcome these things.

I am so happy that scripture reminds us that our struggle is not with flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil in this world. When we are stuck we are to remember who we are and Whose we are. We are to prepare ourselves with the tools and the weapons that God has given us, because these are the only tools that will work in this type of battle. Do you think that soldiers fight with slingshots? Absolutely not! So why would we in turn fight a spiritual battle using non-spiritual sources. We are to use Gods armor when we get stuck, so that we can remain standing.   Put on all of God’s armor.

In order to beat the blues and the blahs that come with this time of year, and life in general, remember your armor. Remember the real reason for this season. Not the presents, the food the sales, and who doesn’t love a sale. The reason for this season is to celebrate the ultimate gift of love given to us. For unto us a child was given. Let us remove the Spirit of Stuck from our lives and live the lives we were created to live. Lives full of mercy, grace and abundance. And remember the true meaning of the season. New Year! New You! New Life!

pray, faith, god