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Yes Lord

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“God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called” quote Mark Batterson.  

          Has God ever asked you do something that didn’t make sense?

About 2,000 years ago Jesus was looking to qualify the called.  He was starting his ministry on earth calling His first disciples.  He saw some fisherman fishing alongside a lake.  He then told them take the boat, out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch (Luke 5:4).  

Simon, the boat owner said to  Jesus, “We’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.  But because you say so, I will let down the nets” (Luke 5:5).  Then something amazing happened.  Their nets began to break and their boats began to sink because they had caught so many fish (Luke 5:6-7).  

Simon and all his companions couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed.  They had been fishing all night, then Jesus came along and changed everything.  Simon fell to his knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord;  I am a sinful man!”  Simon knew he had witnessed something great and felt unworthy to be in the presence of Jesus.

Jesus said, “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.”  Matthew 4:18-20

In just three words Jesus changed the lives of these fishermen forever.  The disciples were busy making a living catching fish, then Jesus came along and said, “Come follow me,” you are now going to catch men.  Without hesitation in the both gospels of Matthew and Luke, the men dropped their nets, pulled in their boats to shore, left everything (their families, their businesses) to go follow Jesus.  

I have thought about this scenario many times. 

Why do you think God allowed these men to experience what it was like to catch the biggest catch of fish ever in their lives, to then tell them to drop their nets and walk away from everything they once knew?

This amount of fish could have made lots of money to feed their families and then some.  The fishermen prior to this had only been loosely associated with Jesus.  Jesus allowed the disciples to have a taste worldly abundance, so they would know nothing in this life could ever bless them more abundantly than what God could provide.  Dropping their nets and walking away led to the most extraordinary life ever in Jesus. 

What would you do if Jesus came along and asked you to drop everything to come follow Him?  Would you say ‘yes’?  

What courageous faith, trust and obedience these men had to just walk away.  We may not always know what lies ahead but God does. 

I can so relate to the disciples.  Three years ago God asked my husband and I, “Will you walk away?”  He said, “I know your life is comfortable, but will you leave all of your family, friends, your jobs and your life, to come follow me?”  

I’ll be honest at first, our response was ‘wow God that’s asking a lot.’  There were a lot of unknowns, where would we go?  Where would we live?  Where would we work?   When God asked us to walk away, He already orchestrated the plan, we just had to follow.  

Once we said ‘Yes Lord,’ God started opening the doors to where He was leading us.  We didn’t need to know how every detail was going to work out, because God had it under control.  We knew where God was leading us may be uncomfortable at first learning how to live in our new life.  But, we knew whatever abundant blessings we had in our comfortable life couldn’t compare to what God had in store for us.  Saying ‘yes’ to Jesus was the best decision we ever made.

His abundant blessings are always greater.  

Saying ‘Yes Lord,’ allows for God’s biggest blessings to overflow within our lives. 

Saying ‘Yes Lord,’ to whatever He is asking us to do will always leads to the most extraordinary life in Him.

Has God ever asked you to walk away and come follow Him?  

God is calling all of us to have the most extraordinary life in Him.  We don’t have to be extraordinary to do what God is asking us to do, we just have to be ready. 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 5:3

Coming Soon!  Some new changes to the website.  I will be doing a 4-part series of Meeting Jesus.  We will be meeting Jesus in the scriptures, our struggles, our storms and everyday lives.    

It’s all about meeting Jesus right where we are.  In Him we will have life to the full that is complete and everlasting.  Have a blessed week!

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Celebrate Easter with Jesus with this Family Bible Reading Plan!

There is Victory in our Thankfulness!

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Have you ever had one of those days, where you just woke up on the wrong side of the bed?  You started your day in a foul mood and just couldn’t seem to shake the bad attitude?  I sure have!  I can always tell when I start the day off to a wrong start when I am in a pattern of complaining.  Each complaint takes my day towards a spiral downward in the wrong direction!

It isn’t until I have stopped to acknowledge God for all I am thankful for, that my perspective starts to change.  He gently reminds me that He’s got it and I need not to worry how things are going to work out. I just need to trust in Him.

When I am in a pattern of complaining I am reminded of the Israelites wandering in the desert for all those years.  The Israelite’s were concerned how they would be provided for.  They turned to Moses, who was leading them through the desert, asking him for food and water.  Each time they went to him with their requests, they were provided for by God, in more ways than they even realized.  In all the times they were provided for, not one time did the Israelite’s give thanks to God to all He had given them.  They were in an ugly pattern of complaining and ungratefulness.

Oh, how convicted I am when I read their story.  How many times have I been in this pattern not stopping to thank God all I am thankful for? The conditions in the desert were not the most desirable, but the Israelites were always provided for.  Yes, I am sure it was hot and even uncomfortable wandering around in that desert.  But the Israelites never went hungry, their clothes never became torn or tattered, and they even had water to drink.  They may not have liked their circumstances, but their circumstances became so much worse when they grumbled and complained, leaving them unsatisfied, wanting more.

God was trying to teach the Israelites that He is the provider and maker of all things.  He is the source of anything we could ever need.  God was showing them true happiness isn’t waiting for perfect circumstances to occur but learning to be happy with what you have right now.  

There is Victory in Thankfulness!

It is hard to complain and be thankful at the same time. Thankfulness can turn struggles, troubles and tragedy into hope.  Only God can turn our valleys of troubles into a door of Hope (Hosea 2:15).

There is always something to be thankful for no matter how desperate our circumstances.  Focusing on what we’re THANKFUL for, turns our circumstances in an UPWARD direction back towards God.  It helps us STAY FOCUSED on what He has provided for us.  We may not always have the best of circumstances or even like them, but know God has it all worked out.  He has the best plans ever!

Thankfulness could have not only helped change the Israelites situation but really helped changed their hearts as well.  Focusing on what we don’t have will always leave us unhappy, dissatisfied and wanting more.  Thankfulness turns what we have into enough, a meal into a feast and a stranger into a friend (quote Melody Beattie).

How has thankfulness helped change your perspective?  

When I am thankful it turns my grumbling heart into a happy heart.
When I am thankful it turns my complaining into gratitude.
When I am thankful in my storms, God turns them into something beautiful.

Psalm 118:24 NKJV
“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Trust in God’s provision for you, be thankful for it, it will transform your circumstances and your heart!

'Be joyful, pray continually, Give thanks in all circumstances.' 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIVClick To Tweet

Want to read more about Thankfulness?  Read Psalm 100 and Psalm 145.  

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Finding Victory in Our Messes

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I have a confession to make.  There are certain areas of my life that are in a state of continual mess.  My desk is one of them.  I probably shouldn’t admit this, but there is something very comforting about my messy desk.  Maybe because it doesn’t demand me to keep a certain appearance of having it all together all the time.  Or maybe because it doesn’t nag me to clean it up?

Do you have an area of your life that is in a continual messy state?  

I struggle to keep my messy desk organized.  One piece of paper out of place leads to a pile, which leads to a mountain of open books, to a point I don’t know where anything is!  My messiness impedes progress to move forward in completing projects.  I get to the point where my desk is so messy I am forced to organize it.  Even though there is a place for everything, somehow in my busyness and distractions my desk becomes messy again.  The time I need to organize and put away things is easily replaced by other activities or commitments.  I have good intentions to keep my desk clean, but somehow the piles seem to always appear!

My desk is a reminder of how my one decision to not put something away, leads to a big mess!

Can you relate?

There lies a constant struggle within all of us, to keep our lives without messes.  Is this a realistic achievement to have a life without messes?  I don’t think so. I think messes are apart of our lives, whether they are physical or spiritual.  I think our messes are apart of our stories in which God has written.

My mess makes me think of Joseph in the Bible when his brothers sold him into slavery.  His brothers did not like Joseph because their father showed favoritism towards him.  Their jealousy took a turn for the worse when they plotted an evil plan to kill him.  Thank goodness one of their brothers had the sense to spare his life.  Instead, they plotted to throw him in a well and sold him to the Ishmaelites traveling to Egypt.  The brothers then decided to deceive their father, making him believe his beloved son was killed and devoured by a wild beast.  They even killed a goat and dipped Joseph’s coat in blood to show their father, to make their whole story seem more believable (Genesis 37:12-36).

What a mess!  Their evil plot to kill turned into a lie, which turned into a conspiracy of deception–selling their brother into slavery!  I can’t imagine how their father felt, thinking his son died, but was really deceived by his own sons and didn’t even know it!

Oh, what God can do with our messes.  

Little did Joseph’s brothers know, what they intended for harm, God intended for good to accomplish His greater plan (Genesis 50:20).   What the brothers thought would be the downfall of Joseph, God used to equip Joseph all for His glory.

Joseph had been a slave in Egypt for about 13 years.  In that time he learned much because he was a servant of Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh.  He gained favor with Pharaoh when he was able to interpret one of Pharaoh’s dreams (Genesis 41).  Joseph’s dream saved Egypt from a great famine that devastated many lands around them.  Unknowingly, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt looking for food, not knowing their brother Joseph was there, in a place of power.

In Genesis 45, Joseph finally reveals himself to his brothers, letting them know he indeed was still alive and had power in the land of Egypt.  He was able to spare his family from the famine by supplying them with much food, and land for their flocks and herds.

What an amazing surprise for Joseph’s father Jacob, to discover his son Joseph was still alive!  Joseph could have repaid his brother’s with revenge, but instead, he chose to love them despite selling him into slavery.  Even though Joseph’s brother’s intended to harm him, God was at work the whole time.  He turned the brothers’ horrible decision into one of the most glorious plans ever!  

There is Victory in Our Messes!

Can you relate to Joseph’s story?
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Have you been in a mess and felt like there was no way out?

I promise you can trust that God is at work in your life.  If God can deliver Joseph from slavery making him a powerful ruler over Egypt he can deliver you from your circumstances.  Stay faithful in prayer, I promise God is listening!  We may not always see what God’s plans hold, but can trust he has something better for us just ahead!  (Jer. 29:11).

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3 Things You Don’t Need to be Victorious in Jesus

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“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;  your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”  Psalm 139:14

I don’t know about you, but there are days where I feel like I have fallen short.  Days where I feel like I have failed.  Days when I can’t seem to get anything right.  Can you relate?  I am so thankful we can find rest in who God says we are, not in what we do on our own.  Because every day I would fall short.  God makes everything beautiful.  He does not make mistakes.

The world says you have to be something great to be accepted and loved.  The world says you have to be successful and perfect.  The good news is, we don’t have to wait or rely on the world in order to be loved and accepted.  God loves us just the way we are, right now.  We can rejoice in who He says we are.  In Him, we can always be victorious no matter what our circumstances are.

Here are 3 Things You Don’t Need in Order to Be Victorious in Jesus:

1.  Perfect and Sinless-  “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.”  1 Timothy 1:15 NIV

Myth:  In order for God to love us, we must be perfect and sinless.

Truth:  God’s love is unconditional and loves us despite our imperfections and sin.  God loves sinners. He doesn’t love sin.  But loves us even in our sin.  Truth is God created you.  You were loved even before you are born into this world.

2.  Have it all Together or Achieve Something Great-  “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”  Romans 15:7 NIV

Myth:  In order for God to accept us, we must have it all together and achieve something great.

Truth:  You are accepted and loved no matter who you are, who you were, who you will be or what you achieve.  Your success and worth are not dependent on what the world says, but in who God says you are.

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

Myth:  I must accomplish good works to earn God’s love, approval and entry into heaven.

Truth:  You do not ever have to earn God’s love.  It is His free gift He offers to everyone who is willing to accept it.  Your good works do not guarantee you entry into heaven;  your acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Savior does.  No amount of good works will ever be enough to earn God’s love.  When you accept Jesus as your Savior, good works overflow from within you, from Him;  not something you do on your own.  When Christ lives in you, His love is what overflows from you, producing good works.  God receives the glory when good works are done as a result of His love living within us;  not us.  It is through God’s grace and our faith in Him we have been saved, not by something we have done on our own.

You are victorious in who God says you are. There is victory in God's love. Click To Tweet

There is nothing the enemy can do to change what God has already done for you.  There is victory in what God has already done for you.  

How do you live a life that is victorious in Jesus, no matter what your circumstances?

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There is Victory in Celebration!

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“Everything has its time.  “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:  A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted:  A time to kill, And a time to heal;  A time to break down, And a time to build up:  A time to weep, And a time to laugh;  A time to mourn, And a time to dance;”  Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

It’s Time to Celebrate!  This season we are celebrating…..

  • The Start of a New School Year
  • One year of blogging!
  • A New Bible Study:  “The Victorious Life”

A lot has happened over this past year.  It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole year since I took a step of faith and started blogging on heathergillis.com.  God was calling me to write.  I had no idea what I was doing, no idea how to get started.  But then God stepped in….. He made everything happen.  I only had only had to take one step of faith and God opened the many doors of opportunity.

Our steps of faith are meant to be celebrated.  Our steps of faith lead to God’s greater victory.  

If we never took steps of faith, we would never see all that God can do.  We would never see how all-powerful God really is.  You may be enduring a trial that seems way too much to handle.  Or carrying a burden that seems way too heavy to carry.  You are not meant to go through these trials and burdens alone.  God is with you and will be your strength and your comfort.

There is Victory in our Trials and Burdens.
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There is Victory in our Steps of Faith.  

Keep holding onto God’s promises.  His love and truth mends broken hearts, eternally heals, and allows us to be filled with His abundance of everything He has to offer. You can rejoice even in your circumstances because of God’s love for you.  Here are 10 reminders when life has you feeling defeated.  Don’t allow the lies of Satan to keep you defeated.  You are victorious!  Nothing in this world can ever change God’s love for you!

10 Victory Bible Verses to Remind you:  You Are Victorious!  1.  “The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.”  Psalm 118:14 NLT

2.   “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”  1 Corinthians 15:57-58 ESV

3.  “I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.”  1 Peter 1:6-7 MSG

4.  “For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” Deuteronomy 20:4 NIV

5.  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

6.  “for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” 1 John 5:4

7.  “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 1 Corinthians 15:55 NIV

8.  “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:37-39 NIV

9.  For the Lord takes delight in his people;  he crowns the humble with victory. Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.  Psalm 149:4-5

10.  “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.”  Proverbs 21: 31 ESV

“Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God;  I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you, with my victorious right hand.”  (Isaiah 41:10, RSV).  

We are over-comers in our faith.  These trials refine us like pure gold, building our strength, preparing us for greater things to come, which give birth to something new.

When we celebrate what God has done for us;  it leads us from defeated to victorious.  You are meant to live the most victorious ever in Jesus.  No matter what your circumstances are, you can celebrate because of what Jesus has done for you!  It’s time to celebrate!

There is Victory in Celebration.    

Jesus changes everything. In Jesus, we are never defeated! Click To Tweet

What are you celebrating?

Has God called you to take a step of faith?  

How has Jesus changed your life?  

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 weekly Monday Message or like my Author Facebook page to catch the latest posts.  Have a Blessed Week!

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

Free Printable Bookmark. Click on the link to download. Victorious Bible Verses-3.  

  

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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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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.  

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 to receive a weekly Monday Message or like my Author Facebook page to catch the latest posts.  Have a Blessed Week!

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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: 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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