Finding Victory in the Storms

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“That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”  Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.  There were also other boats with him.  A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly swamped.  Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.  The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”  He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be Still!”  then the wind died down and it was completely calm.  He said to his disciples, “Why are you afraid?  Do you still have no faith?”  They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this?  Even the wind and the waves obey him!”  Mark 4:35-41 NIV

Have you ever felt like the disciples before, being caught in a storm and didn’t know what to do?  The storm came upon the boat fast and furious, filling the boat with water.  The disciples’ fears of sinking and drowning were soon going to become a reality if something didn’t happen to change their situation.  The disciples then wake Jesus to ask ‘Don’t you care?’  Jesus responded not to the disciples but to the storm itself and says only three words, ‘Quiet, Be Still!’  

It wasn’t until the disciples turned to Jesus, that their situation was changed.  They could have lingered in the ‘what ifs’ or the sinking of their boat, but that would have never changed their situation and put the trust in themselves.  It wasn’t until they turned to rely on Jesus and asked Him for help, that the storm was calmed.

Jesus then asks the disciples, “Why are you afraid?  Do you not have faith?”  Jesus is basically saying, ‘you silly disciples, haven’t I taught you anything?’  ‘I am right here with you in the same boat you are, why do you fear the storm?  Why are you putting your faith in what you see?’  Up until this point Jesus had already performed many miracles, such as His disciples catching a large amount of fish (Luke 5:3-10), to healing many such as a leper (Luke 5:12-15), a paralyzed man (Luke 5:18-26) and raised a widow’s son from the dead! (Luke 7:11-17).  Jesus is saying, ‘Hello!  What else do I have to do to prove my abilities to you?  I can make all things possible!’   Jesus was trying to teach the disciples, stop relying on your circumstances in which you see and start relying on and depending in Him!

There is Victory when you put our faith in what God can do.  

Maybe you have been there before, in a middle of a storm and all you see is your circumstances bringing you down.  Oh, how I have been there many times before, where all I have seen is a hopeless situation.  It is in those hopeless moments, God uses them to display his divine intervention.  God doesn’t want us to put our hope and trust in ourselves, He wants us to put our hope and trust in Him.  We will never know the abilities of God if we don’t let him handle our storms.

If Jesus can quiet a storm by merely saying three words, imagine what he can do in your situation if you just ask Him?

Nothing is impossible for God.  He is capable of all things.  

There is Victory when we allow God to handle our storms. Click To Tweet

Even if we can’t see how it is all going to turn out, it doesn’t matter.  God knows and sees the bigger plan.  Putting our faith in God’s abilities will always lead to a victorious life in Him.  

Where do you find your hope in your storms?

Do you allow God to handle your situation or do you try to handle things on your own?

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The Victory of Your Worth

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On one of our family vacations this summer we went to a fishing town in Alaska.  It was a rainy day and I was out walking our dog.  She was a brand new edition to our family of four.  She’s was a super adorable labradoodle puppy and at the time was only 4 months old.  As I was walking, I passed a gentleman who at first glance looked tattered and worn, (in fact he may have been homeless), says to me, “That’s a very nice looking dog you have there, she’s a little raggedy, but a nice looking dog.”  Don’t you love when people give you a roundabout compliment?  The comment struck me as funny because of the same raggedy appearance the man had himself!?!?!

I’ll admit, her wet fur did make her appear ‘a little raggedy,’ BUT if the man even knew how much value she added to our family and the price we paid for her, he would not have described her as raggedy!

But that’s just it.  This story describes many of us.  You may be tattered, worn and a little raggedy, but do you know how valuable you are?  Or do you know the price that was paid for you?  How much more valuable is something when you know the value of it?

It doesn’t matter how torn, tattered or ragged you are, your worth and value is not determined by external appearances.  Our value and worth are not measured by what color hair or eyes we have, not how tall we are, or even how much we weigh.  Our worth is determined by the blood of Jesus who paid the price for us.  What do you see when you look in the mirror?  Someone who has more value and worth than all the rubies and diamonds in the world or …….?  Truth is there is no amount of money that can pay the price for your life because it is priceless and beyond valuable.  This world can never pay a high enough price for the worth of your life.

Your life, your value, your worth, is priceless in the eyes of God. Click To Tweet

You don’t have to find your value in the acceptance and approval in what the world says about you (Rom. 12:2).  The world constantly changes its definition of what makes you valuable and worthy.  There will never be an end to keeping up with what they say makes you worthy.  The good news is God loves you just the way you are and would never have sent Jesus if he didn’t think you were worth it.  God sent Jesus for everyone.

There is victory when you live in who God says you are.Click To Tweet

You don’t have to try to fit into a mold of who the world says you should be.  God wants you to be who you are, how he created you to be, not try to be something your not.

Ephesians 2:8-9
“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith- and not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works so that no one can boast.”

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There is Victory When He Is Enough!

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The other day our family was fortunate to experience a once in a lifetime opportunity, to not only see one of God’s greatest creations but to experience it to it’s fullest.  We were going on a plane to see Denali the tallest mountain in the United States and land on a glacier.  We weren’t just going to see Denali, we were going to stand its presence and take in its magnificence.

Before the day even started there was grumbling and complaining from our children.  ‘I don’t want to go!’  ‘I don’t want to wear or bring a coat!’  It took every parenting effort to make our kids put food in their mouths, brush their teeth and put socks and shoes on their feet nonetheless get into the car!  There were tears of fear of the unknown, what to really expect, how was this day really going to play out?

We tried explaining to the kids we were going to have one of the most amazing experiences in their lifetime.  We described landscapes, picturesque views, mountain tops, planes, glaciers you name it to prepare them what to expect.  We explained, people from all over the world travel to come see the grandeur of Denali and the beauty of Alaska.  They were going to experience what most people never experience in their lifetime.

Regardless of our tireless explanations, we realized they needed to come to their own conclusion and trust in our promise of an amazing day.  Our puny words would never bring justice in comparison to what they were going to experience.

As the plane took off, we were a little nervous because we had never been on a plane that small amongst the mighty mountains before us.  There arose a lot of questions, ‘What if we crashed?’ ‘What if something happened to the plane?’ ‘What if…….?’

It made me wonder, how many times have I done this before with God and questioned Him, ‘What if’?

How often do I put my hope and faith in what I see?

How many times has he tried to nudge me in a certain direction and I gave him a hard time?!?

How many times have I gotten in God’s way, when he tried to tell ‘me’ I have the greatest plan ever for you, one where you will experience the abundance of everything I have to offer if you just let me show you?!?!   

Just like our kids, I don’t need to know every single detail of how everything is going to turn out, I just need to TRUST IN GOD’S PLAN!  His ways and plans are so much greater and better than mine. There will never be answers good enough that will suffice my human understanding.  The only answer I need to know is God loves me and that is ENOUGH.

Is God’s Love ENOUGH?  

Each time I ever question God, ‘Are you sure?’ or ‘What if?’ he gently reminds me, He’s got it.  He sees at a God’s eye view, the bigger picture of what is really going on.  He has all the details under control, I just have to trust his plan is good enough.  

There will be times where it seems he is asking us to go down rocky paths or troubled waters, but I promise you His love will always bring you home.  His love will never take you where his grace cannot protect you.

I am happy to report we saw the most amazing views we would ever see in our lifetime.  We had the most unforgettable experience.  It would never have happened if we didn’t take a step of faith and got on the plane.  We would have missed out on so much if we didn’t trust in his plan and go.  His love is able to do so much more than I could ever do.  When God’s plan is the plan for your life you will have the most Amazing Life Ever!

Where do you find your hope?  In your circumstances?  In what you see?  In yourself?

What do you put your trust in?  Yourself?  Or God’s love?  

God has the most amazing life ever waiting for you to have RIGHT NOW.  He designed you to live the best life ever in him, live life to the fullest, one that is filled with his abundance of everything he has to offer, something this world can never give you.

Will you trust in his love for you?  

You are victorious when you rest in the only answer you ever need, God's love.Click To Tweet

Trusting in  God’s plan allows His love to intercede on your behalf and make all things possible.

There is Victory when He is Enough!  

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Finding Victory in Our Struggles

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Have you ever struggled with something and wondered ‘God where are you?’  Or asked God, ‘Why Me?’ or ‘God do you even care?’  

Have you ever prayed so hard for God to answer a prayer and wondered, ‘God are you even listening?’  

I have been there.  I have asked God all of these questions before.  I don’t have all the answers to why things happen the way they do.  I do know God loves us and desires us to live a victorious life in Him, despite our defeating circumstances.   So how does one go from Defeat to Victory?  

The answer lies at the cross.  

Where do you stand at the cross?

Sides of the Cross:  
Do you stand behind the cross?  You can see the cross, but you can’t see the victory or the suffering of Jesus.  You can’t bring yourself to walk up to the cross because you don’t think the cross can help and can’t see it’s true meaning.  You live in continually defeat of your circumstances, because you put your faith in what you see.  

Do you stand at the side of the cross?  You can see the cross and the suffering, but you can’t bring yourself to walk up to the cross and reach out your hand because you are holding onto your sin.  You have deemed yourself not worthy of the cross.  You live with unforgiveness and can’t seem to let go.  

Do you stand in front of the cross?  You go ahead of God, get in a mess look around and then ask ‘God where are you?’  You can see the cross but it is far out of your reach.  You desire the crown but not the suffering.  You chase what the world considers valuable.  You want to pick and choose the parts of Jesus you want.  You’re surrounded by busyness and distractions.  Temptations are running you’re life drawing you further away from the cross with each choice you make.  The enemy is claiming victory over you keeping you far from God’s truth and out of reach of the cross.   The enemy doesn’t want to let you get too close to experience and see the victory of Jesus.  He doesn’t want you to see the whole Jesus and experience Him in his entirety in his suffering, his mercy, his grace, his richness, his servanthood, or his enduring love.   

Do you stand at the cross?  You partake in everything Jesus has to offer;  the suffering and the crown.  You allow the power of the cross to intercede on your behalf.  You lay your burdens and sin at the cross, you have given everything to God, there is nothing getting in the way of him.  Your life has been completely surrendered to him.  You allow the cross to empower you to live in the victory of Christ!  

OR

Do you even see the cross at all?  You are surrounded by unbelievers.  You have stopped going to church altogether and don’t even know the last time you’ve prayed.  You have fallen far away from God.  Maybe you used to have a relationship with him, but you have been burned, either by a judgmental Christian, a corrupt church, or dead-end circumstances that lead you to know where you want to be.  You have lost your hope and don’t trust God at all.

Jesus didn’t die on the cross for nothing.  He didn’t stay in the grave– He was resurrected.   Our burdens were meant to be left in the grave and never carried beyond the cross.  The power of the cross is nothing without the resurrection.  Satan would like nothing more than to keep us broken inside that empty tomb.  He would like to keep us blinded and whisper lies from the world to keep us from seeing the truth.  We can have all the evidence in front of us, but if we don’t have faith we will miss it altogether. 

Do you live in the power the cross or continual defeat?  Victory lies within the cross, not far away from it, not behind it, not beside it, not ahead of it, but within it.  

There is victory in our struggles.  To experience the entire victory, we must allow Christ to live within us by inviting him in so he can work and within us. 

The victory will never be experienced on the sidelines.  It will never be experienced when the cross is out of our reach.  The victory is something to be done together as a team  (Jesus and us) to be fully engaged in, participating in, not just watching.  The victory is won by actively living out our faith even in our trials, even when we’re persecuted.  Oh, how glorious is the reward of the victory.  It’s all for us to have right now and it’s right in front of us.

Our victory is only one step away.  We are only one step away from surrender.  One step away from forgiveness.  One step away from letting go and letting God.

Where do you stand at the cross?  Are you able to confidently live out your faith to overcome your everyday battles?  You are made to be victorious.  Don’t allow circumstances to conquer and defeat you.  Satan is the defeated one, not you.
​
Where do you find your victory when you have struggles?

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3 Things We Can Do When Tragedy Strikes

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What a heartbreaking week it has been for the city of Orlando.  For all the victims, their families, the devastation and lives that have been lost.  It’s an unnerving feeling when evil shows it’s face, lurks around in unexpected places and attacks when you least expect it.

It is a face I know oh too well and a face I’d rather not see over and over.  If there is one thing tragedy has taught me is there is a choice to make.  To allow evil to illicit fear and dictate our actions or to choose love and allow love to dictate our actions.  

When love is the choice, evil never has a chance. No amount of evil can ever destroy God's love. Click To Tweet

When love is poured out onto tragedy good things grow from it.  Nothing ever good grows from hate or evil.  The face of evil may change, how they attack, what they target, but God’s love never changes.  It is and always will be bigger.  It will never fail you and is what will keep you anchored in the storm.

No one chooses for tragedy to happen.  But when it does there is something YOU and I can do when tragedy strikes.

3 Things We Can Do When Tragedy Strikes:

1.  Love-  We are called to Love.  God loves sinners.  God does not love sin, he may not always agree with what we do but his love is unconditional.  We are all sinners.  God still loves us even if he doesn’t always agree with what we do.  Just like a parent loves a child.  His love not dependent on what we do or don’t do.  To love someone doesn’t mean you have to agree with them.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.”  John 13:34-35

God loves broken people and our brokenness.  When we hurt God hurts.  He loves and accepts us for who we are right now.  As Christians what an opportunity to love those who God loves.  To love how Jesus loves.  To choose love despite tragedy.  How will anyone know the love of God if we don’t love them?  

How will anyone ever know
There is Hope in Devastation
There is Order in the Chaos
There is Healing for the Broken Hearted
There is Help for the Hopeless
There is Beauty found in the Pain
There is Peace in Storm

If WE don’t show them?  

'Encourage one another, build each other up.' 1 Thessalonians 5:11Click To Tweet

2.  Pray-  “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone, be joyful always, pray continually.”  1 Thessalonians 5:15-17 Prayer moves mountains.  It allows God’s divine intervention to intercede on our behalf.  Prayer joins us, connects us unites us.  It is our communication with God.  Prayer is powerful in numbers.  Sometimes prayer not only changes the situation but our hearts as well.  When we pray specific prayers it makes a difference.  

  • We can pray for the victims and their families to be able to get connected to receive the help they need to start their healing process,
  • Pray this will be an opportunity for them to receive God’s love and receive the beautiful message of the gospel, they can find hope and healing in God
  • Pray that Christians and the community would rise up and extend God’s love, mercy, grace and not judge, but love
  • Pray God would reveal to you how you can help and be apart of something bigger than yourself.  

3.  Come alongside those who are hurting-  “He Comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.”  2 Corinthians 1:4 MSG


Just as God comes alongside us when we go through hard times we can come alongside others who are going through hard times.  Not that you desire tragedy upon anyone, but how comforting is it when you meet someone who has gone through a similar situation?  Our pain is not meant to be wasted but to turn into something good.  In a past blog post, I wrote  How to Come Alongside Others Who Are Going Through Hard Times.  We can always do something.  We can make a meal, pray, offer help and support, our time, just being available in their time of need.

God did not do this.  He does not like evil nor wishes it upon anyone.  Evil is Evil.  Evil does not come from God. Evil comes from the Prince of darkness himself, Satan.  Evil can never change the fact that God already conquered death.  Evil will keep trying to put division among us, turn us away from God making us believe God doesn’t love us, that God is not good.  If God didn’t love us he would have never sent Jesus to die for us.  He loves us more than anything, He sent his own son for us.

'For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ' 1 Thessalonians 5:9Click To Tweet

I do not have all the answers.  We may never know why tragedy happens until we go to heaven one day.  Even if God told us the answer we still may not understand.  Choosing to continually search for the answer to the ‘Why’ will only leave you on a desperate weary chase for more.  Because you will never be satisfied even if you received the answer.  

It all comes down to a matter of faith.  Trusting in God’s plan and his promises.  Please know that he only wants the best for you, He loves us beyond measure and he has the best plans ever.  His word and truth will keep you safe.  God has already fought the battle and won.  Even if evil strikes, when God’s love is the choice it will…..

Turn Terror into Triumph.
Turn Victims into Victors.
Turn a Bad situation into a Blessing.
Turn a Mess into a Message.
Turn your Pain into something Beautiful.

What evil intends for evil God will use for good (paraphrased Genesis 50:20)Click To Tweet

God loves you!  Have a Blessed week!  

I would love to hear from you!  How has God’s love transformed your situation?  Please Share!  Leave Comments below.  

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The Joy of Less: The Power of Contentment

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What’s your dream?  Everyone has a dream about what type of life they want to be Living.  Are you Living the best life ever?  You were Made for More, to live the Best Life Ever.  One that is filled with abundance, fullness, and richness.

Below is a story which I hope challenges you to ask important questions.

A Parable of the Mexican Fisherman and Investment Banker (Author Unknown)

An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.  Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna.  The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, “only a little while. The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs. The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos.  I have a full and busy life.” The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually, you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”

To which the American replied, “15 – 20 years.”

“But what then?” Asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part.  When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions!”

“Millions – then what?”

The American said, “Then you would retire.  Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”

Moral of the Story:  Live Simply, Love More.  When we Live in the Present we will always find Contentment.  

This story really challenges us to ask, “Am I really Living life the way life was meant to be Lived?

Sometimes bigger isn’t always better.  There will always be another dollar to make, a bigger house to buy, a nicer car, a nicer life.   Then what?  The chase for more will only rob us of life’s precious moments that are meant to enjoy NOW not LATER.  It’s time to ask, When is Enough, ever Enough?

Where does Contentment get lost?  When your need for more money and stuff is greater than your purpose.  Sometimes purpose can get lost along the way when trying to reach your goal for more when in reality your purpose was right in front of you the whole time.

True Contentment will never be found at the bottom of a shopping bag, the bottom of a wine glass, at the top of the corporate ladder,  in a pair of smaller jeans, in an empty mansion with a bunch of stuff.  (Temporary Contentment)

True Contentment is always found in who God says you are.  God says you are worthy and valuable just the way you are, you are beautiful and you have a purpose.

You are loved by a God who loved you first.  When you have God’s love, that makes you the richest person alive.  God’s love gives you more value and worth than anything this earth could ever offer.  (Eternal Contentment).  Here are 10 Ways to Always Be Content.

More money doesn’t make us rich, the love and time we invest in your relationships do.  “Don’t put your hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but put your hope in God, who richly provides you with everything for your enjoyment.”  1 Timothy 6:17

When we have God’s love, We are RELEASED from the BURDEN of trying to do it all.
When we have God’s love, We are FREE from trying to live up to worldly standards.
When we have God’s love, We will be ETERNALLY SATISFIED never wanting more.
When we have God’s love, We learn GOD IS ENOUGH and all we will ever need.  

Living within God's boundaries of love, Trusting in his provision--We will always be abundantly filled with the fullness of everything He has to offer and live in Eternal Contentment. Click To Tweet

God desires for us to Live the Best Life Ever in Him, so he can provide us with eternal riches.  

Are you truly Living the Best Life Ever in who God says You are?  

What do you put your hope in?  Circumstances or relationships?

Do you trust God Enough to Provide the Best Life Ever in Him? 

'Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.' (Matthew 6:20)Click To Tweet

'The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.' Isaiah 40:8Click To Tweet

Going Deeper:  Read 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 6:17-19

Did you like this blog post?  Please share with others! If you would like more encouraging messages sent right to your inbox, Subscribe to my blog and receive a FREE e-book, “Esther:  God’s Plan for Victory.”  Or like my Author Facebook page to catch the latest posts.

Want to know more about the Joy of Less?  Read Heather’s story in Chicken Soup for the Soul “The Joy of Less.” Click Here.

I would love to hear from you.  Leave your comments below.

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The Joy of Less: How to Create More Margin in Your Life

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Is there margin in your life?  You know that extra time you allow in your day to get to work on time, to take a break or allow for the unexpected?

I don’t know about you, but I used to be the worst at allowing for margin in my day.  It’s something I wish I planned for and I had more of in my day.  It wasn’t until I spent my days  rushing from one thing to another thinking, I can’t keep living like this.  Can you relate?

It is in your moments of being tired and weary from hurriedness and busyness God will try to get your attention.  Even in our disobedience God will gracefully point you in the right direction if you let him.

How do you go from chaos to order?

By giving your chaos to God, letting him have it all.

Sometimes we have to let go of stuff and things in order to have a life of peace and order God desires for us.

5 Ways to Create More Margin in Your Life:
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1.  Get rid of Clutter–  both physical and spiritual.  Letting go clears your spaces to make room for what’s most important.  It allows you to spend time doing what matters most.  Get rid of your doubt, fears and worries they are just getting in the way, taking up space.  Best way to get rid of your burdens, give them to God then he can better able to fill you with his desires.  Keep your spaces clear of clutter and junk, don’t allow clutter to fill them, set boundaries, be intent full of what you allow in your homes and hearts.

2.  Don’t over schedule-  There is power in saying No, giving your best yes.  If you haven’t already read the book by Lysa Teurkerst “The Best Yes.”  I definitely recommend it.  Whatever you say yes to, you are really saying no to something else.  Is it your husband, your family, your friends?  Let your yes be yes and your no be no (James 5:12).  Put boundaries on your time to allow room for what’s most important in your life.

3.  Stay Present in God’s Presence-  In God’s presence you can always find rest (Exodus 33:14).  Staying present in God’s presence means, not going ahead of him, being still with him, spending time with him.  Time spent with God is time well spent.

4. A willing, obedient heart-  Having a willing, obedient heart allows God’s plan for you, to
occur in your life.  It allows for the best plan ever!  God’s plan can never prosper if there other things such as disorder, chaos, clutter, getting in the way.  “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”  Matthew 5:8

5.  Give your time to God-  He is the one who created time.  Without God we would not have time.  Our time is really not ours, it’s His.  Giving the time God has given us to him allows him to do so much more with it than we ever could.  When you give your time to God he will give you all the time you need.  It makes what you have into enough never wanting more.  When Time is given to God he turns your CHAOS into ORDER.

All of these things makes more room for God to be able to fill you with more.

Margin is created when there is more room for God.

When there is more room for God, there is margin to be able to enjoy in the joys of life he has created for you.  God cannot fill us with the more he desires if there is stuff and clutter getting in the way of him.

Clutter, distractions and busyness will always rob you of the joys God has intended for you.

I never realized how much of life I was missing when I didn’t allow margin in my life.  Creating margin has allowed room to enjoy the sunrises, allowed our children to build forts and climb trees, allowed our family more quality time together to go on walks and hikes TOGETHER.

​Our lives become richer when there is margin to enjoy life’s precious moments.

How can you create more margin in your life?  What is God asking you to let go of so he can fill you with the more he desires for you?

Did you like this blogpost?  Please share with others!  Only 2 more weeks left for “The Joy of Less,” series!  Below are tips of how to de-clutter, simplify and how to become more with less.   Don’t miss any posts Subscribe to my blog or like my Author Facebook page.

Are you on Periscope?  Join me live Tuesdays at 12:15 EDT or Saturdays 10:30 EDT.

I would love to hear from you!  How has the Joy of Less made a difference in your life?  Leave Comments below!

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​You will really enjoy these stories!

The Joy of Less: 5 Things that Add More Value to Your Life

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Stuff, it can be so consuming. It can clutter your life.  Have you ever asked yourself what is the price of all of this stuff really costing me?  

There are some things in life you can not put a price tag on, you cannot buy at a store, that are invaluable.  In our journey of ‘The Joy of Less,’ God challenged us to take a good look at our lives and look at what they were really filled with.  He showed us in our busyness, our clutter, our distractions it actually took away value in our lives and added more stress.  I want to invite you into the best life ever that God desires for you.  

5 Things that Add More Value to Our lives
1.  Love– Your Relationships you have with one another are one of the most valuable assets in your life.  They are irreplaceable.  They cannot be exchanged.  There is a direct correlation in the more quality time you have with each other in making memories, having awesome conversations, amazing experiences, the more deeply rooted your relationship becomes.  The same with God.  God loves you, he desires you.  The more time spent with him, the more you understand his love for you, his heart and his character.  It is a gift that is everlasting, eternal, never fails and cannot be destroyed.  Having love in your life increases your value exponentially.  

2.  Less Stress–  Having less/No debt, less Stuff, less clutter, less distractions, getting rid of busyness all lead to a life with less stress.  God shows us when we get rid of the junk, get rid of anything getting in the way of him, we make more room for him to be able to provide us with the best life ever.  One that is free from stress when we rely on him in our struggles and depend on him for our provision.  Getting rid of clutter and stress increases the value of you life by allowing God to handle your stress, making more room for him to fill you abundantly with his love for you.  

3.  Boundaries–  Got stress?  chaos? fear? busyness? doubt? clutter?  Put a boundary on it.  It’s a good place to start.  Boundaries do no limit us, they set us free.  By putting a boundary on whatever is causing havoc in your life you are actually not allowing room for it to take over your life anymore.  Setting boundaries in my life has been one of the most freeing things ever.  I don’t allow stuff to own me, I don’t allow fear to dictate my actions, I don’t allow busyness to consume me.  How do you do this?   By living in the boundaries of God’s love.  There is no place his love can’t reach, his love is limitless and holds no fear or chaos.  Boundaries have added so much more to our lives to allow God’s love to work with in us and not allow those other things to work against us.  Is there something in your life that is consuming you that needs a boundary?  

4.  Margin-  I think margin is something that is often underrated.  Creating margin in your life and in your day makes you a better wife, a better mom, a better friend, a better person.  The best way to create margin in your life is by setting boundaries.  Having margin in our life has allowed us to be able to go on family walks at night, go on weekend family hikes together, stop and take a picture of the wildlife or sunrise, meet a friends for dinner.  Having margin allows more time to enjoy precious family moments, build relationships and make memories that last.  Having margin has definitely added so much more value to our lives, making room for adventure and to experience life.

5.  Wisdom-  It builds character, helps us make better choices, it helps us to know the difference, helps us to discern God’s voice, fills us with knowledge.  Knowledge is power.  It is what foundations are built on, it helps you gain understanding.  The more you know the more you grow.  Wisdom is one of the most valuable things you can add to your life.  It is worth more than all the rubies, silver or gold in the world.  Wisdom requires trusts, to lean not on our own understanding, but God’s (Proverbs 3:5).

All of these things lead to so much more.  They lead to contentment, more happiness, more freedom to enjoy the life God intended for us to enjoy.  They fill you with the more of what God designed for you to be filled with.  God can’t be the God we are asking him to be if we are filled with everything else getting in the way of him.

Are you making room for God to fill you with more of what he desires for you?  What do you need to get rid of to make more room?

Going Deeper:  Read Hebrews 12:1-12 Very powerful, encouraging and convicting!

Need help where to start?  Here are some past posts and videos that may help!
​5 Ways to Make More Room in a Crowded Heart- Blog Post
​5 Ways to Make More Room in a Heart that is Crowded- Live Devotional

Did you like this blogpost?  Please share with others!  Only 2 more weeks left for “The Joy of Less,” series!  I will be sharing tips of what we did to de-clutter, simplify and how we become more with less.  When you get rid of the physical clutter it helps to also get rid of  clutter in your hearts as well.  Don’t miss any posts Subscribe to my blog or like my Author Facebook page.  

Are you on Periscope?  Join me live Tuesdays at 12:15 EDT or Saturdays 10:30 EDT.

I would love to hear from you!  How has the Joy of Less made a difference in your life?  Leave Comments below!

“The Joy of Less” Giveaway!  Enter a chance to Win a Copy! Contest Ends May 31st!

 

The Joy of Less: Becoming More With Less

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“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched–they must be felt with the heart.”  Quote Hellen Keller

Has God ever asked you to walk away from it all?  To give everything up and walk in a totally different direction?

That is our story.   In fact, God did a complete overhaul and did the impossible, transforming our hearts.  It all started three years ago when God starting working fervently in our hearts.

It started with a prayer.


God, I pray that your desires will be my desires.  I pray my heart will be filled with what you desire for me.  

Be careful what you pray for. That prayer opened the door for God to do something amazing.  It allowed him to orchestrate the impossible.  God asked me a very tough question, “Will you allow me to be the one to fill you with more of what I have planned for you?  Will you trust me to lead you to the best life ever?”  

What God was asking us to do, was a tall order.  He was asking us to walk away from the life we had been working toward, that we had built over the past 10 years.  He had asked us to walk away from our house, our family and friends, our jobs, everything we knew.  Why?  To be filled with the more God desired for us.  

By allowing God to fill us with His desires it opened a door for so much more.  It allowed God to rid of us anything getting in the way of him so he could fill us with his abundance and not the world’s.  To the world we seemed crazy, giving up a life that is considered the ‘American Dream.’  You could say we had it all according to the standard of the world.  But there will always be something more the world is telling you to buy and achieve, this will only leave a person weary and depleted.  

Allowing God to have our struggles, made more room for Him to orchestrate the impossible and re-directed our focus to what mattered most;  God, each other, making memories and serving others.

Clutter, busyness, and distractions will always get in the way of God's plan for us. Click To Tweet

Quote Chicken Soup for the Soul:  The Joy of Less- “Life is focused now on what we are putting into our hearts and not what we are putting into our closets.” ~Heather Gillis  

It is amazing what God can do when we allow Him to have all of our heart, and give Him all of our struggles, trusting Him with the plans he has for us.  


Will you allow God to lead you to the best life ever in Him?Click To Tweet

I promise when you take one step of faith, God will work out the details and open many doors of opportunity. Click To Tweet


Did you like this blog post?  Please share with others!   Want to know more ways to de-clutter, simplify and how we become more with less?  Read our story published in “Chicken Soup for the Soul:  The Joy of Less,” Click Here. 

When we get rid of the physical clutter it helps to also get rid of clutter in your hearts as well.  Want more encouraging posts? Subscribe to my blog and receive a FREE e-book “Esther:  God’s Plan for Victory” or like my Author Facebook page.  

I would love to hear from you!  Leave your comments below.

What have you cleared from your life to make room for what matters most? 

How do you become more with Less?

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5 Gifts of Kindness

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Giving kindness is a gift within itself.  But there are also gifts you receive when you are the receiver of Kindness.  

5 Gifts you Receive When Kindness is Given
1.  Love–  When kindness is given, God’s love is received.  Jesus humbled himself to be a sacrifice for our sins, giving us his ultimate gift of kindness so we could receive his love.  What’s so amazing about God’s love it’s a free gift available to everyone.  You don’t have to deserve it or even earn it, you just have to accept and receive it.  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves it is the gift of God not by works so that no one can boast.”  (Ephesians 2:8-9)

2.  Healing–   When kindness is given it opens a door to receive healing.  “He comes alongside us when going through hard times and before you know it he brings us alongside someone else going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God has been for us.”  (2 Corinthians 1:4 MSG)  I love this Bible verse.  It depicts such a beautiful picture of how God uses our pain to come alongside others and help them when going through hard times.  Pouring out God’s love to others even when you are going through a hard time helps you heal as well.  Something happens when you come alongside others,  You become an Overcomer through Kindness.  God promises us that by his stripes we are healed (1 Peter 2:24).  

3.  Power–  When kindness is given it is so powerful.  It is a language that speaks volumes to others, that the blind can see and deaf can hear.  When kindness is given one is able to receive the power of God’s love and healing.  The kindness of Jesus is so powerful;  when he clothed the naked, fed the hungry, gave water to the thirsty (Matthew 25:34, 37-40) he showed us the kindness of God.  There is no kindness greater than God’s kindness.  When the kindness of Jesus is given, it is an opportunity for one to receive the power of God’s kindness.  When God’s love overflows from within you and is given to others, God’s kindness is received.  The one receiving it will recognize the lovingkindness is from God himself.  “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” (Philippians 2:1-2)

4. Eternal Satisfaction–  Kindness is one of those gifts that keeps on giving.   Kindness has no limits and transcends all borders.  It feels good to give selflessly not wanting anything in return.  It is a gift that fulfills and eternally satisfies.  It is a gift that allows you to live in the power of contentment.  “You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:16)  God’s lovingkindness is never ending.  It is a gift that will fill you abundantly more, lasting eternally and forevermore.  His kindness is a gift meant to be shared with others.  

5.  Life–  The ultimate gift, the gift of life.  We have been given the gift of life because of what God has done for us.  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”  There are times I still can’t believe God did such a selfless act by sending his son Jesus to die on the cross for my sins, so I could have life eternally with him.  It is the ultimate gift of kindness one could ever give.  One that that conquers death, one that eternally satisfies and is everlasting.  Nothing in this world can ever change what God has done for us.  What a beautiful gift he has given us.    

God’s gifts are meant to be shared with others;  His kindness, his love, his message of hope and healing, his gift of eternal life in heaven.  If you never shared God’s lovingkindness that he gives you how will anyone ever know the kindness from their Savior?

Let’s face it, we are human!  There are times we get grumpy!  You are either overworked, tired, overcommitted and it takes all you have just to make it through the day.  The last thing you feel like doing is putting a smile on your face and being kind to someone.    

Here are 7 reminders when life gets the best of us.

 7 reminders of how to be kind (even when you don’t feel like it).

This concludes the series on Kindness.  If you missed any of the live devotionals you can now view them on youtube (Click here).  Next week will start the series on The Joy of Less!  It will feature our story that was published in “Chicken Soup for the Soul:  The Joy of Less.”  The blog series will tell our God story of why we are here living in Alaska and all that God has done in our lives.  I will also have tips of ‘How you Become More with Less,’ De-Cluttering our Lives, the Power of Contentment and More!  There will also be a Giveaway a FREE Copy of The Joy of Less!!!  To receive the latest blogposts Subscribe to my blog and receive a weekly devotional sent right to your inbox or like my Author Facebook page for the latest posts!

How has God’s kindness affected your life?  I would love to hear from you!  Please Share, Leave Comments Below!  Did you like this blogpost?  Please share with others!