SURRENDER

Ahhhhh..... such is the way of God that when you hear His Word and let it seep deep down into your soul, it will begin to feed you like nutrition. That is why I often refer to it as "manna to my soul". He gives us just what we need every day, no more, no less. Only what can be digested and make sense to our earthly minds.

Often times I experience, what I am sure many of you do to, when I hear a message, read a story or devotion, hear a song, and it all seems to be saying the same thing to my heart. Such great confirmation. I love when this happens because I KNOW I am receiving a personal message from God. You know what it is like when someone tells you something and you feel like YES!! You get it! You understand. Well, I guess that is what this feels like to me. It is like YES GOD! That is EXACTLY what I needed to hear! (Duh! Like He didn't know! ha!!)

I had this experience over the weekend. It seemed like every message I listened to on TV (love me some church on TV when I am home on the weekends) while puttering around the house, the songs that I had playing while I was in my studio, the devotion I read in my awesome new devotional ("Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young)...were ALL speaking to me. Funny thing is, it was not so much to ME as it was to my heart about OTHERS I know who are going through some pretty tough times right now. OH, believe me I know it is still for me...because His Word is ALWAYS relevant in my heart and life. But these messages are meant to be shared, which is exactly why I am bringing all this up............

I want to share it all with you today!!!!!

SURRENDER TO GOD'S STRENGTH!!!
You have been hurting so deeply. Your heart is aching so terribly that it hurts, it really HURTS. Sometimes the simple act of breathing is painful, it cuts deep.
You must remember that when you are the weakest HE is the strongest! The battle is NOT yours, it is HIS. He wants to fight for you. He wants to protect you from all the pain you are feeling. He wants you to find PEACE in HIM.

YES, the pain you feel is REAL. VERY VERY VERY real!!!! Nothing minimizes how awful it is for you right now. But He wants you to move from that painful place to a place of TRUST, TRUST in HIM! Because when we are fearing, when we are anxious....we are NOT trusting Him!!!!

I am one to speak. I have worry stamped in a huge crease on my forehead. But then again, that may very well be why I know so much about how I am SUPPOSED to behave!  ;)

I often meditate on Philippians 4:6-8.......

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. "

Seriously, these words are imprinted upon my heart because I have had to refer to them so many times.
I encourage you to write them upon your heart. (which means memorize them so they are there to stay).

When you find yourself ready to go crazy with fear or worry...begin to recite these words, out loud, or silently in your mind. It doesn't matter, just SPEAK THEM!

It is a daily walk. Day by day, sometimes moment by moment. Get through this moment, this day and THEN move on to the next. Just like manna for the soul, you have the energy and strength you need RIGHT NOW, He has equipped you with just what you need.

He has not left you, He never will leave you nor forsake you!!!!
He loves you.

PRAISE HIM.
Oh I know.....it feels a little weird to praise Him when you are feeling like you can barely think a positive thought right now. That's okay, He understands! Begin to offer the "sacrifice" of Praise. Sacrifice means that it cost you something. So when you reach deep into yourself right now and make the effort to sacrifice that praise that does not come easy, you are doing just what you should be doing.

PRAISE is FAITH at work!

You never know when your victory is coming, so do not give up!!!!! Never EVER give up!!!!
God has not nor will He ever give up on you!
Dig deeper. Dig your heels in. HOLD ON.
Shake off the negative.
 Stay in a constant attitude of praise and thanksgiving.
(what a perfect season to be practicing this!!)
One of the best ways to practice this is by coming up with at least one thing every day that you have to be thankful for.

You may be on the brink of your miracle. The change you are looking for may happen TODAY. The revelation you need to hear from God may come TODAY! That pain inside you may begin to ease TODAY! So....hang in there! Never, ever let go of HOPE!

Surrender to HIM! Give it ALL to Him. He is waiting..................

XO

The Power Of One.....

Today is 11-11-11...the most ones you can possibly have in a date. I do not know the statistics but I am pretty sure this will not happen again in our lifetimes!
Seems like all year long I have found myself noticing the clock every time it was 1:11 or 11:11. It has been a bit odd to me. I have often wondered what the significance is. Still do.
What I do know is what God impressed upon my heart this very morning as I was on my dark and early morning walk.
He was reminding me something He had shown me YEARS ago. In a dark and difficult time I happened to be at a women's retreat in the mountains. We were sitting in this incredible A-frame chapel that had windows up at the very top. I was transfixed with the view out those windows, seeing the tops of the gorgeous tall trees reaching the sky. I felt alone. Small. Insignificant. Useless. Meaningless. I was lost.
He, ever so gently brought to me the scripture about leaving the ninety and nine to find the ONE.
I could literally SEE it as I was staring out those windows.
Have you ever read that scripture???.....the shepherd is out with the flock in the field and ONE little lamb comes up missing. That shepherd leaves the 99 sheep that are there and accounted for to find the ONE that is missing.
(Matthew 18:11-14)

 That ONE was ME!!!
God was reassuring me that He wanted ME to be found and accounted for.

WOW!!!!

I will never forget that!

Today I want to send that message to YOU!
You may be just one, but YOU ARE ONE!!!!!
One is significant.
One is powerful.
One is enough.
YOU ARE ENOUGH!!!!!!

Back to today, on my walk, God was reassuring me that if I were the ONLY ONE on this earth He would have STILL sent His ONE and ONLY son to this earth to die....for ME!!!!
Okay, if you are anything like me this is soooooooooooo hard to comprehend!!!
 Really?!?! ME!??!?!?

JUST ME!?!?!?!?!?!?

He says YES!!!!!!

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God loves you and YOU are ONE and you are ENOUGH!!!!!!

Try to remember that.........try to write that upon your heart and forever keep the image that you are that ONE sheep that He left the fold to find. It was YOU and He found you!!!!

And forever He shall keep you!!!!!!

Let ONE be a significant number to you today as it represents YOU!!
For you are ONE...ONE very important one!!!!!


XO
Love & Blessings to you!
Yup .......
YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

Encouragement

We all need it.
It comes in many forms.

Some days it is the very thing that gets us from the couch to upright again.

Some days we feel as if everyone has nothing but negative to say,
then we hear that positive voice
and we begin to see the first glimpse of light
shining into the darkness of our soul.

Without encouragement we feel dead, dry, lifeless.
Like a plant that has been ignored, un-watered, without sunshine,
without loving care.

Then we begin to receive a little love,
some light from those people who allow their lights to shine.
A smile from a stranger.
A hug from a friend.
A note of encouragement.
A text message from someone who just wanted to tell you they love you.

I wonder.........what are YOU doing today to be that ray of sunshine?
What are you doing to bring some other soul a glimpse of hope?

Today may be your day of giving
for one day you will certainly need to be receiving.
Such is the cycle of life.

Go today
Smile
Laugh
Love
ENCOURAGE!!!!!!!!

God is ALWAYS on Time!!!!

I had the most awesome experience of God's PERFECT timing this morning.

It brings MANY different situations all into play to create the perfect timings.


You see in a land far away it was actually ALMOST November 3rd as I sat down at my computer. November 3rd is my sons birthday. Since I wanted to wish him a happy birthday as soon as I could, and since he is on the "night shift" in Afghanistan I thought I better get on here and send him a message before I left for work this morning.

SO I did.......... a sweet little birthday email to my amazing son!

Then I proceeded to get ready for my day.

I was about to leave for work when I decided to check my email one more time (just in case I heard back from him).
Lo and behold there was a message from him, a very sweet message that made this momma cry (dang now I have to go fix my make up!!!).

He said that as he was reading the message I sent this morning a Marine walked in with the two packages I had sent him for his birthday. How do you like that for timing!!!!

Now I have to interject the story of those packages.

I was trying my darnedest to get those packages out last week on Monday I think it was.......I hit several obstacles ending with it being 4:50 pm, Post Office is about to close and I just CANNOT make it work! SO I had to wait til the next day. ugh!!!! I was sooo frustrated! I came home and my sweet husband helped me get the packages to work (I was having trouble getting my little birthday balloon to fit and the sign to fly out with it (cos it was attached) and the funfetti cookies were not fitting and ...well you get the idea..........

Apparently the timing was not right.......and needed that extra day!
Go figure!
Because in the end the packages got there at the PERFECT time!!!!!

I tell this story for a couple of reasons. First because I wanted to show the power of God to touch hearts so many miles apart through this fabulous world of technology we have today.
I am so grateful!!
AND because I know so many lovely people out there right now who are struggling to understand Gods timing, His divine wisdom and power to make it all work out for their good. Oh they know it and they are trying to believe it with their whole hearts BUT when life continues to seemingly go awry and all that they want and hope for and dream of is so illusive it becomes quite hard to hold on.

My getting frustrated and dealing with the issues of getting those packages off in the mail is far less than the issues they are facing.
I know that.
BUT I believe in the picture stories we are given in life to help us SEE. God used these parables all the time cos he knew that is how we would grasp and comprehend the lessons we must learn and the promises that they hold.

I want to encourage you to hold on!!
To TRUST and BELIEVE!!!
God DOES have a perfect timing!
Underneath the surface is a perfect plan working it's way out.

Have you ever heard the illustration that Corrie ten Boom used? She said life is like a tapestry. The side that you are seeing as you are stitching along is the underneath, it is tangled with threads going this way and that. It doesn't look like it makes any sense at all. In fact it looks quite jumbled up and messy. BUT, turn it over and take a look at the finished product. Those colorful pieces have been used to create the different parts of the picture to create the beautiful masterpiece.
Such is out lives. Some times they seem to be so messy and jumbled up. Sure doesn't seem to make a lick of sense or look pretty at all. BUT just you wait, one day the finished product shall be revealed to us and we will then behold the beauty behind every single difficulty. We may not see it all on this side of heaven.
This is where the TRUST and BELIEF comes in. Trust that He loves you and is there for you, He will NOT leave you nor forsake you. BELIEVE that He is sovereign and IS working ALL things together for the good to those who love Him!!!!

I pray that today you will see the beauty in God's perfect timing and you will remember that even those annoying frustrations in life can be a part of a better timing, a part of the bigger picture!

Hold on dear one.............HOLD ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
XO

Oh soooo long!!!!

I sure did not mean for so much time to pass before posting!!! I always think of plenty to write about but struggle to find the time to actually DO it!

I am toying with the idea of a website (actually a dear friend is thinking of putting one together for me!). I certainly must get better at keeping up if I plan on doing that!

It is my desire to write posts on a regular basis that might be of an encouragement to those who happen to read my blog. I long to encourage others...YOU...on this journey of life. Part of my personal "mission statement" says that "I want to share that which I know to help others and encourage them" I only "know" what I know because I have traveled this path long enough to have learned many a lesson and I have gone through my own troubles and trials just like you. In each of these I grew a little bit and though I have far from "arrived" at a place of full growth and wisdom (I am not sure I will ever fully "arrive" until I arrive in heaven!) I use those lessons to GrOw from. (that is my fancy way of combining GO and GROW....which I feel is exactly what life is about...going and growing forward.

I love to share. I bet if my parents were alive they would say that I shared well when I was little. It seems like every time I know something I want desperately to share it with any and everyone who might be able to benefit from the same knowledge. I want to do what I can to spare others from having to learn "it" the hard way.
"IT" being anything from hard learned lessons in life about self-esteem, overcoming issues from childhood all the way to the much simpler things like recipes.....
All of it mixed with the Word of God, the measuring device for all things good in life.

So....in my desire to be an encouragement I shall try to be better at posting more often.

Let me leave you with a little encouragement right now..........

So many I know are going through a difficult time, a trying time. It is not easy to keep the faith let alone be strong in that faith. I want you to know and to remember that you are NOT ALONE! You are NEVER alone! God has not and never will leave you nor forsake you. He loves you more than you might ever comprehend. It is a love that is hard to comprehend in this world because it has no strings attached, no conditions, no judgements...it is PURE LOVE!
You deserve every ounce of that pure love!!
KNOW that you are deserving of every good gift and that He will give you just what you need when you need it. Life is certainly not without troubles and trials, you know that very well. BUT, do not lose hope...do not grow weary. He is with you and He cares!!!!! He really, really does.

So do I so if I can pray for you or encourage you in any way, let me know!

Love & Blessings!
XO Sherry

Our Natural Resources

Time-Energy-Money
Our natural resources in life.

These are the things that we are constantly seeking.
There never seems to be enough of any of them.

If you are like me when you were younger you never thought that ENERGY would be one of them.
I mean, I would wake up with plenty of energy and I could go and do all day long...no problem. Get a good nites sleep (and that was not always a "long" nites sleep since I am a night owl) and wake up feeling ready to face the new day.

As for TIME well, there was plenty of that too, or so it seemed for the most part.
It seemed as if we had all of life to do the things we wanted to do. But as we all know, those days draw in closer and closer the older we get.

Then there is MONEY. Although I have never been in a place where I did not have to be careful, watch my money, budget, etc. I am thankful we have always had what we needed. There were tough times, but God always provided.

Here's the thing.....

With money you work hard and at the end of the pay period you get paid and you are "replenished".

With energy you get a good nites sleep and you are restored....ready to begin again.

With time you get a new 24 hours each and every day...no one has more than another, this is one place we are all equal.

Once I found myself living with a chronic condition that depleted my energy I began to see that , unfortunately, the resource of ENERGY does not necessarily replenish itself with those good nites sleep.
Also as life goes on we find that pay day does not always do the trick in replenishing our money because we have debt. When those pay days come along we do not get 100% of it to "replenish" our pocket books any longer.
As for time.......well, no matter that technology is super duper fabulous we are still finding ourselves with less and less time. In fact it may be BECAUSE we have such super duper technology that we ARE so busy and our time seems to disappear at a rapid rate.

Why am I bringing this subject up???
Because I have come to the conclusion that the time has come that we CHOOSE how to spend OUR time, money, energy....all our resources. Which also includes our God given talents and abilities....for the very things GOD put us on this earth to do.

He did not make us all the same, we are all needed for different reasons/purposes.


What happens to most of us is we spend our lives doing what we are asked to do, what is demanded of us and never get to the things we want/need/desire. It is a huge waste of God's resources! He put those abilities and talents in us when He created us...they are there for good reason.

I recently read a quote that says it well..........

"Success depends on getting good at saying no without feeling guilty. You cannot get ahead with your own goals if you are always saying yes to someone else's projects. You can only get ahead with your desired lifestyle if you are focused on the things that will produce the lifestyle."

This is not to be mistaken for responsiblity! If you have a family to tend to, that is what you have already CHOSEN. Your responsibilities shall always come FIRST!

It's time to BE who GOD created YOU to BE and DO what HE has created YOU to DO!!!!!
SO....let me challenge you to go out and use your resources wisely. We all know you only have so much of each to go around......spend them well! Make HIM proud!!!!

You've Had It In You All Along......

It has always been in me.

This morning on my walk, which is the time when I really get to clear my head and pray....
I was thinking about my new job and how far I have come in the mere 2 weeks I have been there.
To be perfectly honest I have been EXTREMELY overwhelmed!!!!
I have not worked in the "clerical" field in MANY years! We have had a couple of businesses and I was the church secretary for 5 years. You have to understand though, this was back in 1988-1993. We were still doing the ole "copy and paste" in the physical way...you know, print it off, tape it on....try to make sure your tape lines do not show up on the copy! We had an apple computer, that is without internet or anything more than the bookkeeping program and the word program. The rate of techno progress is astonishing and I was definitely feeling like I was lagging behind in the learning process.
So as I began this new pursuit I felt like I might never catch on, I might fail miserably!!!
It was a very sad & scary feeling!

BUT...........I am doing it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM!!!!

Just like the message in the great movie "Wizard of Oz....."It's always been in me!"

I can learn anything, if I just TRY. I can become whatever I want to, if I just tap into what is IN me! What God has given me.

I am pretty sure YOU can too!!
Whatever it is you are facing, whatever you think you cannot do, I bet you CAN!!!!!!
I want you to look deep inside yourself and find that passion, that strength, that gumption to do whatever it is you want to do!!!!!

I am not saying I know it all now, or that I can do it ALL.
(Lord knows I still have a LOT to learn!!!!).....
BUT, just like you, I now know I can find my way!


It has been there all along.