Have you ever gone Christmas shopping and had a hard time finding a perfect gift for someone who has everything they could ever want? They are someone special in your life so you want to find that unique gift, that something special, to let them know how much you care. What do you give to the one who has it all?
The One whom I’m thinking of is God. He is the Maker and Creator of all things, has all the riches He could ever need, has the largest house and kingdom anyone could ever imagine, and yet there is something He desires more than anything–YOU.
Why would the One who has it all want anything to do with our undeserving, sinful selves?
Because He loves YOU.
This Christmas as we focus on what the meaning of what Christmas is all about, the birth of Jesus, I’m taken back to one Bible verse that says it all.
John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
I am in awe that God could have chosen to live anywhere in the world, but He chose to become one of us and DWELL among us. Not to sound funny, but if I were God I would have just stayed in heaven. He doesn’t need us. There is nothing we can offer Him that He doesn’t already have, yet He wants us.
There is something so amazing about the places God dwells. God has made his dwelling place in the light (1 John 1:7), in heaven (Psalms 123:1), in his church (Psalm 9:11), on earth (John 1:14), but his permanent residence where He dwells is within our hearts! (Ephesians 3:17-19).
I still can’t believe He chooses US to be His dwelling place! Something happens when we become God’s dwelling place. He becomes our refuge and our umbrella of protection from the evil one. He becomes our light, our hope, our joy, and freedom.
Psalm 91:9-10 “Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place–the Most High, who is my refuge–no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.”
Maybe you are going through a tough time right now. Maybe this holiday season doesn’t seem very festive because you lost a loved one, your job or aren’t near family. Maybe you received a new diagnosis you’re still processing. Maybe you’ve been distant from God for a long time and don’t know how to get back to Him.
Every day God invites us into His presence. Whether we enter into His presence or not, a door is opened for us to enter. When we come to Him in prayer we step closer into His presence. When we praise Him in our storms of life and thank Him despite our struggles we step further through the doorway. When we open up God’s Word, we allow an opportunity for His Words to dwell richly in us, to plant seeds and grow within us (Colossians 3:16).
Did you enjoy this blog post? Please share with others! Want more encouraging messages sent right to your inbox? Subscribe to my blog and receive a FREE E-book and 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! Would you like to know more about the Christmas story! Join me next Monday as we learn more about what the Christmas story means to you.
https://i0.wp.com/www.heathergillis.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/heathergillis.com-2.jpg?fit=800%2C800&ssl=1800800Heather Gillishttp://www.heathergillis.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/heather-gillis-logo.pngHeather Gillis2018-12-07 02:00:292018-12-04 12:03:15What Do You Give To The One Who Has It ALL?
“When a believing person prays great things happen.” James 5:16 NCV
Do you believe prayer changes everything?
I admit, there have been times in my prayer life when I’ve prayed but didn’t really believe God was able. I threw prayers up to heaven not truly thinking anything was ever going to change in my life. But then something happens when we pray when we believe God is able.
When we start praying like it matters.
When we focus on His purpose.
God has the power and strength to do anything at any time, anywhere, yet he patiently waits for us in our unbelief. He uses prayer to shape and mold our unbelieving hearts, to make room for what He desires for us.
Our prayers mean so much to God. They move His heart. Imagine our prayers have the ability to move the heavens.
In Matthew 18:19-20 says, “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Have you ever had an experience when prayer changed everything?
Many times I’ve believed, God isn’t listening. I have prayed the same prayer for over 20 years and God still hasn’t answered it. Does that mean He doesn’t care or we should stop praying?
God hears our prayers. I believe God cares about what we care about because we are His children. Our persistent consistency gets God’s attention and shows our faithfulness. When we are constant in prayer, God sees what we’re passionate about. He sees what matters to us. A prayer a person has prayed for years is never wasted and will be used in greater ways than we could ever imagine.
We are only one prayer away from the sick being healed. One prayer away from someone else’s breakthrough. One prayer away from lives being changed. One prayer away from God doing the impossible.
Nothing changes when our prayers are silent and when they go unspoken.
Would you like to make a difference with your prayers?
Whatever is important to you. Whatever concerns you. Gather two to or more friends to come together and pray about what’s weighing heavy on your heart. Meet together in numbers, pray consistently with a fervent passion that shows God I’m serious, please hear my prayers. One of the greatest tragedies is when a prayer goes unspoken. God will use us to carry out his greatest plans. God uses our prayers to fill our hearts with what He desires for us. Our prayers matter and make a difference. Don’t give up, keep praying with a believing heart. God hears our prayers and is able to accomplish the impossible.
Did you enjoy this blog post? Please share with others! Want 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!
Every week in our household our family has a tradition–TACO NIGHT! If there is one meal we can count on every week, it’s tacos. We always have the staples for making tacos in our house at any given time. What I love about Taco Night, is our family sitting down eating the same meal together.
One particular Taco Night, we served the hard shells instead of flour tortillas. We usually have all the toppings for our tacos on the table–sour cream, salsa, cheese. One can put on their taco, whatever their heart’s desire. Our son has a method to how his taco is made and the other sides arranged on his plate. Nothing on his plate can touch each other.
Have you ever watched a scene unfold in slow motion, knowing how it was going to turn out? As our son lifted the taco to his mouth I could see and hear the taco shell crack and then fall apart spilling the contents onto his plate, which did I mention he doesn’t like other food touching each other?
As this scene unfolded I could see the melt-down process unravel. He was upset and required a whole new plate and taco because doesn’t like to eat food that’s broken and messy. If his food has one crack, one bite in it already, forget it he won’t eat it. (Don’t judge we all have our quirks). There was no rationalizing with him, the food was perfectly fine, but in his mind, it had been ruined.
It’s Not About the TACO
The melt-down my son had nothing to do with the taco and everything to do with an inner struggle of wanting everything perfect and not dealing with the mess. Our son focused on the broken, messy taco which kept him from enjoying the great meal before him. The meal was going to taste the same whether it was messy or not.
That disappointment, that argument or disagreement you just had probably isn’t what you’re upset about at all. The scenario of my son reminds me of the Israelites–an all too familiar pattern that has happened within all of us from the beginning of time.
The Israelites spent 430 years as slaves in Egypt under the rule of the ruthless and mean Pharaoh. When God sent Moses to deliver them out of Egypt, they left with all of their cattle, their precious valuables and their families! Which doesn’t happen! Their exodus resonated God’s power all throughout the land of Egypt.
Little did they know they would be tested further by God by wandering in the desert. It was hot and tiring traveling through the desert. They were hungry and thirsty. They whined and complained about their conditions which made God angry.
“The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost–also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic” Number 11:4-5
I get it. Maybe tent-camping for 40 years in the desert wasn’t their thing. They just wanted some good food, a flushing toilet, or a full-hookup camper with a hot shower. Even though their immediate comforts were uncomfortable, they were missing the point of God’s purpose. How soon did they forget they were just freed from 430 years of slavery!
The Israelites never went without provision of food, shelter, water or clothing. They had everything they ever needed. God wanted The Israelites to depend on Him for their daily bread, NOT MAN. Instead, they focused only on what was before them to satisfy their souls instead of what God was able to provide for them–The Promised Land.
Sometimes I think our focus can get off. We get lost in our problems, stumble on our inadequacies, caught up in our roadblocks, and caught up in our own desires. We become like the Israelites entering into patterns of grumbling and complaining, losing sight of God’s purpose of what He’s able to do in our lives. And before you know it, life becomes unbalanced and we fall apart.
What if that’s the point? To discover God’s purpose for us within the mess?
Our struggles, inadequacies, and roadblocks will always get in the way of God’s purpose and plan for us. But what if we embraced God’s purpose among the mess?
I guarantee there will always be another mess. When we embrace God’s purpose, we can stop using our messes and struggles as an excuse to hold us back, but allow our mess to be God’s platform in what He’s able to do in us. Just like the whole taco fiasco with my son, we too miss out on life’s biggest blessings when we allow our struggles to hold us back. God will use our struggles as a catalyst for his greater plan. We don’t have to worry about how everything will work out, He’s got it all within His grip.
Let’s Taco About it:
What’s your one thing getting in the way of God?
Do you sometimes fall apart?
How can you embrace God’s purpose when you’re life is a mess?
It’s not about the Taco. It’s not about our next performance. It’s not about doing things with our own strength. It’s not about waiting until the mess is over but embracing God’s purpose for us even in the mess.
Did you enjoy this blog post? Please share with others! Want 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!
https://i0.wp.com/www.heathergillis.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/TACO.jpg?fit=800%2C800&ssl=1800800Heather Gillishttp://www.heathergillis.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/heather-gillis-logo.pngHeather Gillis2018-10-04 02:00:592018-10-02 04:40:34It's Not About the TACO
Sometimes as Christians I think we get it a little backward. We start out on a journey to get to know God and then somewhere along the way we get off track. I’ve been so far off track in my journey at times, when I looked around wondered how did I even get here?
One way to describe my detoured journey as a Christian is to take a peek into the mind of a dyslexic. I’ve shared in the past of our daughter’s journey with dyslexia. In her tutoring sessions, I’ve learned a lot of how dyslexic mind works.
A dyslexic’s mind flips around and substitutes letters in words. They have an inability to interpret text, discern phonemes and distinct sounds represented by certain letters. Teaching a dyslexic how to read can be a difficult task. English in itself doesn’t make sense, for example, words like laugh, cough and tough. The average American is taught these words make an ‘f’ sound. When sounded out they are pronounced coff, laff, and tuff. We are taught, just ‘memorize’ these words make these sounds, just accept it. A dyslexic looks at these words and says this is a bunch tomfoolery, show me where the ‘f’ is, this is a nonsense word.
As Christians, we do the same in our own spiritual lives. We are taught something our whole lives and just accept it as true and never question if what was taught was actually true. Over time we’ve substituted and exchanged what we’ve been taught with our own formed beliefs without ever opening up the Bible to see for ourselves.
Sometimes We Get it Backwards
Our Salvation- Somehow along the way we’ve complicated salvation and made it something it’s not. We’ve made salvation about us, in how much good we do, not that Jesus died for us. There would have been no point in sending Jesus if salvation were up to us. Salvation isn’t, works + grace= salvation. It’s salvation + grace= works. No amount of good works could get us to heaven it would never be enough, God’s grace is what saved us which was paid for by the blood of Jesus. Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Judgment- Dyslexics also have the inability to determine the difference between words such as live and live–same word different pronunciation. Without putting these words into a sentence, the context of their meaning is lost. The same way dyslexics interpret text, we do the same, as Christians. We interpret one piece of the Bible, without putting it into the entire context of God’s purpose. We judge those who sin pointing our finger to tell them ‘the wages of sin is death,’ when we are sinners ourself, leaving out ‘but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6:23). There is only one judge and that is God.
Love- Ironically love in the English language is an exception word, meaning when a word has a silent ‘e’ the ‘e’ makes the vowel long like in the word cōve. Love is pronounced ‘luv’ making the vowel short, not following the silent ‘e’ rule. Love is not an exception, it’s our existence. Love may not follow all the rules but it’s our purpose. God is the creator of love. Love is God. “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8). Love has become distorted, less about relationships more about stuff. Our world has distorted what love is veering far from God’s design, seeking to fulfill love in places where love will never be found. A life without love isn’t living life at all. If love was about being fulfilled with everything in this world, there would have been no point in sending Jesus.
English is a language that has exceptions and doesn’t follow the rules. When teaching my daughter to read I have to explain to her words ending with ‘k’ and ‘ck’ make a ‘k’ sound except for the word stomach–another exception word. But that’s just it, there’s always going to be an ever-evolving world that asks us to make an exception. That asks us to compromise our beliefs. That asks us to take the JES out of JESUS and just leave the US part, making it about US.
By being equipped with God’s truth. By staying in His Word in prayer. The more we educate ourselves and spend time with God’s words the better able we can decipher what’s backward and what’s not. Even the godliest people don’t get it right. We can be encouraged, we might not always get it right, but God makes up for our shortcomings. He will set our paths straight when we trust in Him.
Can you relate?
Have you ever had a case of Christian Dyslexia?
Did you enjoy this blog post? Please share with others! Want 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!
Have you ever had someone tell you, you’re not qualified? You don’t measure up?
For many years I ashamed to say, I had believed this very lie about myself. Unfortunately, at the impressionable age of 13, I had a teacher tell me something very similar. One day in front of the entire class she had me stand up and spoke these words to me, “You’ll never amount to anything in life but a hairdresser.” And then the entire class proceeded to laugh at me. In that very moment, a lie was born.
From that point forward I believed, I’ll never amount to anything. I’ll never measure up. I’m inadequate, I’ll never be enough. Personally, I have nothing against hairdressers, they make a very good living. However, it was the “You’ll never amount to anything” part that hurt. From that moment on, I believed a lie. I wasn’t smart, I could never achieve what other people could, all from words spoken probably from a teacher who had been hurt in life and was just taking it out on me. But at the age of 13, I was just discovering who I was. At that time I needed a teacher who believed in me, to build me up, not tear me down and crush my spirit.
I am sure the teacher that day was looking
at me from the outside, never bothering to get to know who I really was. Her words labeled me as a ditzy girl for the rest of my middle school through high school years. I may have not always thought about what I said before I said it. I may not have come across as the most intelligent person. But that doesn’t give someone the liberty to tear them down or crush their spirit at the expense of gaining a laugh and potentially changing the trajectory of someone’s path.
Proverbs 18:20 NLT The tongue can bring death or life.
Our words have the ability to either bring life or death to another. How will we choose to use our words? To build or destroy?
Those words, sadly, paved a path of what others thought of me and they treated me as such. Looking back it didn’t matter what others thought of me. It only mattered what God thought of me. But thankfully God gave me a strong-willed spirit. Those words stirred something deep in my soul, that said, “I’ll show her.” Those words made me try harder, and more determined I wasn’t going to fail.
The human faulted flesh of mine would love to look that teacher up and give her a long list of all of my worldly successes. I would love to tell her how I exceeded well beyond her limited view of me and shame on her for picking on a kid!
I learned something very powerful from all of this. Just because a teacher said something about me, someone I trusted or valued as an authority figure doesn’t mean it’s the truth.
What she said may have been true—I’ll never measure up. But it wasn’t the truth.
It may be true I’ll never measure up to what the world says. I’ll never be enough. I’ll never be qualified. I will always be inadequate.
But thankfully I can rest in who God says I am and break free from what the world says I’ll never be. My weaknesses and flaws will never get me to where I need to go, but God’s strength will.
many great things, but none of those compare to what God has accomplished in me. Because of God’s truth, I am set free from the lie I believed so long ago and what the world thinks. I don’t have to carry the chains of my past into my future. I believe who God says I am, the one who created me and knows me best.
I am more than the words the teacher said to me that day, I am who God says I am.
Have you ever been told you’ll never measure up?
I wonder if the great leaders in the Bible ever had someone tell them they’d never measure.
Moses had a stuttering and anger problem.
David had an affair and killed a man.
Jonah was stubborn and disobeyed God.
Peter denied Jesus 3 times.
And yet God still used them. We all have our flaws. We all have our inadequacies. Praise God, we can be free in who God says we are.
You say I am loved
You say I am strong
You say I am held
You say I am yours
I believe what you say of me……..
Did you enjoy this blog post? Please share with others! Want 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!
https://i0.wp.com/www.heathergillis.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/lightstock_443067_download_medium_heather_-min-3.jpg?fit=2800%2C1940&ssl=119402800Heather Gillishttp://www.heathergillis.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/heather-gillis-logo.pngHeather Gillis2018-08-24 02:00:152018-08-26 04:49:19You Are Not Qualified
Failure. We have all been there. We never forget when we fail at something. Even though it seems horrible at the time, it can be one of the best learning experiences we go through. Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Dr. Seuss are among some of the most successful people in history who accredit their success to their previous failures.
A failure I will never forget is the day I failed my nursing boards (this was 19 years ago). I had studied so hard, the result was devastating. Three valuable lessons I learned in my failure, I carry with me to this day.
3 Valuable Lessons Failure Teaches Us Failure:
1. Builds character– It makes us mentally tougher. It Prepares us to be able to do hard things. It teaches life is not easy and we have to keep trying. Failing my boards made me try harder. It taught me the value in working harder, pushing myself to reach my goal. It taught me perseverance. Perseverance teaches us how to get through tough times. It helps prepare us for what lies ahead. “God doesn’t care about our achievements while we’re here on this earth. He cares about our character.” by Rick Warren
2. Never allow numbers on a piece of paper define who you are– Whether it’s a grade you receive in class, a class rank you receive or what’s in your bank account, you are more than numbers on a piece of paper. Take that all away, you are still who you are.
Failures shape our future, prepare us for what lies ahead and make us stronger. (The enemy) wants us to believe that we are no good, not worthy and are not able to do it. Just because one door has closed doesn’t mean another one won’t open up. Sometimes our failures will lead us to better paths ahead. Allow failure to Shapeyour future, not define it.
3.Never allow failure to stop you from moving forward or accomplishing your goals. The best way to respond to failure, is to ask, ‘What can I learn from this?’ Apply it and Keep Going. How many times did the Apostle Paul get thrown into jail and was persecuted for what he believed? A lot. He could have looked at his many situations as failures. That never stopped him to on Keep Going. He didn’t look at his situation as failure, but as an opportunity to learn, become stronger and persevere.
Hard work, perseverance and commitment, pays off in the long run. You never know where your failures might lead you. Looking back, I realized how important the lessons I learned from failing. I learned failure….
Prepared me for my future.
How God used it and turned it into something better.
I went on to obtain my Masters Degree in Nurse Anesthesia. After the failed nursing board attempt, I never failed another test again.
I have been a nurse for 19 years, not once has a patient asked me, What grade did you get in Anatomy Class? Did you graduate Summa Cum Laude? Or did you pass your nursing boards the first time? What a patient will ask you, is how long have you been a nurse? They care about my experience and will I take good care of them, not if I’m valedictorian. Patients grade me on how I treat them, which is the most important grade I could ever receive.
You are Important, Worthy and Valuable. No matter what another person says or what failure has occurred, You Matter. You are God’s workmanship. He created you with a Purpose, not to be defeated but to to be Victorious. He designed you to Succeed. Even if you fail Now, it doesn’t mean you won’t succeed in the Future. God will use your failures for future successes. Take this from someone who has been on the other side of failure.
Has Failure been apart of Your Life?
In What Ways has Failure Helped Shape Your Future?
Has God used your Failure and turned it into something Better?
Don’t Give up, Don’t lose hope, Keep Going. “For I know the Plans for you, plans to prosper you not to harm, but to give you Hope.” Jerimiah 29:11 NIV
Did you find this post to be encouraging and helpful? Please share with others who are in need of prayer. For more encouraging messages, Subscribe to my blog to receive a FREE ebook and weekly message of hope right to your inbox or like my Author Facebook Page. to keep updated on posts.
I would love to hear from you! Leave your comments below.
When you read the title of this post I bet the first thing that comes to your mind is Bon Jovi’s hit song, ‘Living on a Prayer.’ It’s a song about struggle trying to make ends meet, the people in the song have to keep going and hold on to what they got. They are walking a fine line between making it or not and they are living moment by moment–living on a prayer.
One animal sticks out in my mind who lives their life living literally on the edge of life or death is the bullhorn sheep. Their home is on the cliffs of mountains. These sheep spend most of their lives jumping from one cliff to another, finding comfort in living on the edge of these cliffs. I’ve always wondered why do these animals choose to live so close to the edge of death every day? Why don’t they find comfort in grazing grass from a nice flat green pasture?
The answer lies in how the food chain operates—fear of the predators outweighs their fear of the cliffs. Predators cannot get them when they live on the cliffs.
I couldn’t even imagine living the way the bullhorn sheep live every day. Hanging so close to the edge living moment to moment not knowing if they would slip—finding comfort on the edge of death. They become accustomed to living like this, getting used to slippery slopes, falling rocks and become agile to steep cliffs.
Imagine if we lived life like that? Every moment of every day was dependant upon our prayers?
Or each moment was dependant on God for every breath, every step, every need of our day?
I am guilty of not always turning to God before making decisions or reacting to certain situations. What if instead of responding and making choices on my own, I instead turned to God first in prayer?
2 Corinthians 10:5
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Living on a Prayer:
One verse that sticks out in my mind that helps lead us to depend on God for every need is 2 Corinthians 10:5. There is always going to be something in this world trying to distract us and lead us away from what God desires for us. The world is going to tell us that we need more love, more money, more power. These things will never lead us to the abundant life God desires for us–only more tired and more empty because there will always be ‘more’ to chase– there will never be an end to more.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God when we allow God to take captive our every thought and make them obedient to Him.
The next verses in 2 Corinthians 10:6-7 say, “We will be ready to punish every act of disobedience once your obedience is complete. You are looking only on the surface of things. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he.”
We belong to Christ. When the shouts of the world drown out the voice of God we can become deaf to His voice. In the busyness and chaos of this world, we need to find the time to slow down, be still, sit in the presence of God so we can hear his voice. God did not design us to keep going to the next best thing. He designed us to depend on Him like our lives depend upon it.
I encourage you to write 2 Corinthians 10:5 down on a notecard, put it on your mirror and pray this verse every day for the next week, as a reminder to allow God to take every thought captive and make them obedient to Him. This verse trains our minds to direct our hearts to where He desires us to go. I promise you His desires and plans will lead to the best life ever.
Just like the bullhorn sheep, predators cannot get us when we live under the umbrella of God’s protection. The enemy will masquerade himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). He will try to lure us into areas where we are exposed and not protected. Satan is always prowling around like a lion ready to devour us at any moment of any day.
Molding a life of prayer like our lives depended on it is the very thing that will protect us, bring our battles into the light and hear God’s voice.
The next time you have a temptation, an impure thought, discouragement or doubts…….
Ask God to take captive every thought and make them obedient to Him.
Imagine what our lives would look like if we lived on prayer?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we pray we will focus our hearts and minds on you. We pray you will take captive our every thought and make them obedient to you. We pray we will stay alert of the schemes of the enemy and stay under the umbrella of your protection. Help us mold a life of prayer that is dependant upon you for every moment of every day so we can live our lives living on a prayer. Help us stay in prayer so we can hear your voice and have our steps directed. We love you, Lord, in Jesus name. Amen.
How important is prayer in your life? Do you live on a prayer?
What is one action step you can do today to make prayer an important part of your daily life?
Did you find this post to be encouraging and helpful? Please share with others who are in need of prayer. For more encouraging messages, Subscribe to my blog to receive a weekly message of hope right to your inbox or like my Author Facebook Page. to keep updated on posts.
https://i0.wp.com/www.heathergillis.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/lightstock_432336_small_heather.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200Heather Gillishttp://www.heathergillis.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/heather-gillis-logo.pngHeather Gillis2018-04-06 02:00:532019-05-25 21:58:09Living on a Prayer
Most Everyone has seen the movie Hunger Games. The Most highlighted sentence on Kindle in the Hunger Game series of books is, “How can we expect to go in this world prepared if we are not equipped with what we need?”
Exactly.
It all comes down to, Preparedness; being equipped with the right tools to be in a position of readiness. Having the right tools will make us go from not just being a Survivor or a Victim but becoming a Victor. Nothing Tells the story of Preparedness better than David and Goliath.
In the story of David and Goliath, a war had come upon Israel. For 4o days a giant named Goliath came out in full armor, to fight the Israelites. No one would fight him because they were afraid. One day David came from the fields where he was tending sheep to bring his brothers’ lunch. David wondered why was no one fighting? David was just a teenager at the time, the youngest of all his brothers. He told King Saul he would fight the giant.
Can you imagine what everyone was thinking, how can a boy defeat a giant?
David then went out wearing no armor just his tunic, carrying only his rock sling and a bag of 5 small smooth rocks. Doesn’t sound like he was very prepared does it? David swung his sling around with one rock in it and flung it exactly to the only exposed area on Goliath’s forehead. Goliath fell to the ground and the rest is history.
David didn’t become another Victim he became a Victor.
Not everyone can slay a giant and become a hero like David did. The reason David was a Victor and not a Victim, because God Equipped and Prepared him. He made him ready for battle. He gave David everything he needed to win.
David had
A Willing obedient heart from God
God’s strength
People encouraging him
The Plan God gave him
Courageous Faith
David didn’t have any military training, he didn’t have a sword, armor or any other battle equipment to defeat Goliath, he just had what God intended him to use; His sling and His Faith. The rock sling seemed to be an unlikely choice to slay a giant, but sometimes God’s plans don’t always make sense.
5 Ways God Equips Us to go From Victim to Victor: 1. Knowledge– Proverbs 2:6 “For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”Knowledge is Power. The More we learn the more we grow.Seek the Experts for Advice. There is no one better expert than God. He has provided us with the most powerful resource in the world; The Bible. Staying in the Word, reading our Bible daily, equips and provides for all of our needs. Ask God, ‘please equip me with the knowledge to have a heart of understanding and wisdom to make good choices for 2018.’
2. Strength– 2 Corinthians 12:9 “My strength is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness.” Our weakness is God’s opportunity to display his strength. We grow in our weaknesses. When we step out in faith, even in our weakness, God will use it to transform it into His strength. God will use our trials and struggles, to develop more perseverance and endurance. Ask God, ‘help me to trust in you and step out in faith even in my weakness.’ He will use our struggles for something better, I promise.
3. Encouragers– Thessalonians 5:11 “Encourage one another and build each other up.” Everyone needs someone to motivate them, push them to their upper limits. No pain no gain. Ask God to be surrounded with encouragers who can help motivate and help reach your goals. God is your biggest fan you can always turn to him.
4. A Plan– Every adequately prepared person has a plan. Good thing God is in the plan making business. When we live in the plan God has for our life, we are living in the best plan ever. How to Make a Successful Plan for 2018
5. Prayer– Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God.” Pray for God for help to equip you with the knowledge you need, for strength, encouraging people and to live in the plan God desires for you.
We may feel like we are facing a giant. For 40 days no one stood up to fight Goliath because they were fearful. They were fearful of his size, fearful of losing and fearful they may die. The difference between the Israelites and David is he had Faith.
When we allow God to equip us with the right tools so we will be prepared for the plan he has for us. I promise, when we allow for God’s plans we will always be victorious. Our goals will never be achieved if we are not prepared. We wouldn’t jump off a boat in the middle of the ocean without a preserver just like we wouldn’t take a test without studying.
God has designed us to be VICTORIOUS! For us to be a Victor and not a Victim!
How are you Preparing Yourself for the New Year?
Will you continue to allow your Giants to bully you?
Or Will You Allow God’s Plan to be your Plan for Your New Year?
We don’t always have to understand God’s plan, we just need faith like David, so God can carry out his plan through us. You are loved!
“For those who Hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Did you like this blog post? Please share with others! Want more encouraging messages? Subscribe to my blog and an encouraging message will be sent right to your inbox or like my Author Facebook page to catch the latest posts. Have a blessed week!!
May your New Year be Filled Abundantly more with God’s Blessings of Love, Joy, Peace and Freedom! I would love to hear from you! Leave Your Comments Below.
https://i0.wp.com/www.heathergillis.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/7326215_orig.jpg?fit=800%2C800&ssl=1800800Heather Gillishttp://www.heathergillis.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/heather-gillis-logo.pngHeather Gillis2018-01-19 02:00:102019-05-25 11:08:385 Ways God Equips Us to Go From Victim to Victor
At the end of every year, it’s always fun to reminisce about all the fun and happy memories one has had over the year. It is also a good time to write goals and get rid of any junk or clutter getting in the way of reaching our goals.
I don’t know about you, but I love getting rid of clutter to help clear paths to achieve goals.
I asked my family what is something you would like to leave behind this year? What is something you do not want to take into the New Year? Here are our Family’s responses. (You can Probably guess which ones are our kids’ responses)
Top 10 Things to Leave Behind in 2017:
1. Negativity– Nobody likes a Negative Nelly. Negativity is a sure way to a bad attitude which never leads to anywhere good. In 2018 I want to trade negative attitudes in for positive ones.
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29).
2. Fear– Being Scared of the unknown is a sure way to get into a vicious cycle of worry and anxiety. Who wants that? Not me. The best thing to trade our Fears in for is more Faith.
“Trust in the Lord with All your Heart, Lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5
3. Poor use of Time– I want to trade in any Lack of Planning in for being more intentional and purposeful with my time. The best person to give our time to is God. God will provide all the time we need when we give it to him. Time spent with God is time well spent.
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
4. Busyness– Filling my time with busyness and distractions is a guarantee for burnout and being tired. This year I want to let my ‘yes’ be ‘yes and my ‘no’ be ‘no’ (James 5:12) so I don’t overcommit or overextend myself.
5. Regret– Allowing fear to dictate actions is a good way to get into a pile of regret. Living a life of love the way God intended us to live, helps to leave regret behind and look forward to the life that God has designed for us.
6. Accumulating Stuff– This year is a year to live with less. When I have less, I have more room for what God has intended for me.
“He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30)
7. Silly Arguments– Maybe you are a better person than me, but I would like to trade in silly arguments for positive, encouraging remarks. Who really cares if the toilet seat wasn’t put down? Instead of being quick to start a silly argument I want to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (James 1:19).
8. Sweating the small stuff– Worrying about every little thing leads only to more worry. Worry never changes the situation or the outcome, it only brings more grief and worry. In 2018, I want to trade worry in for more Trust in God. He’s Got it!
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).
9. Disorganization– When you consistently can’t find your keys, clutter starts to pile up and life starts to spiral out of control; maybe it’s time to trade in the clutter and chaos for more order. Take the time to get rid of clutter and organize your spaces.
“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33
10. Disconnected– I have gotten into a bad habit, of spending time on social media when I should be present with whoever I am with. Just because there is downtime doesn’t mean I have to pick up my phone. This year I want to be present with whoever I am with, not trading face to face interaction in for screen time.
Have you made a list of things of your Fun Happy Memories from 2017?
What would you like to leave behind in 2017?
It is a good activity to do with your family to start with a clean slate for the New Year!
Prayer: Dear God,
I want to start my New Year off to the right start. Help me identify the clutter in my life, anything getting in the way of reaching my goals you desire for me. Help me use the time you have given me wisely and keep my path clear of junk and live how you designed me! In Jesus name. Amen.
Did you like this blogpost? Please share with others! If you would like to read more encouraging messages, Subscribe to my blog and an encouraging message will be sent right to your inbox or like my Author Facebook page to catch the latest posts. Have a blessed week!
May your New Year be Filled Abundantly more with God’s Blessings of Love, Joy, Peace and Freedom! I would love to hear from you. Leave Your Comments Below.
https://i0.wp.com/www.heathergillis.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/5808319_orig.jpg?fit=800%2C800&ssl=1800800Heather Gillishttp://www.heathergillis.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/heather-gillis-logo.pngHeather Gillis2017-12-29 02:00:362017-12-29 06:01:31Top 10 Things I would like to Leave Behind in 2017: A Year in Review
I’m excited to share Janet Thompson’s new book Mentoring For All Seasons that just came out September 12th! I am honored that I had an opportunity to be a contributor to her new book. Be encouraged by Janet’s post how we may not always like every season we are in but can help each other succeed by mentoring or being mentored.
Janet’s Post
We’ve all heard it said, “There’s a time for everything.” Or “You’re just in a season, it will pass.” In fact, it’s Scriptural—
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.”—Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
The good and pleasant seasons sound wonderful and just what God wants for us, right? It’s so easy to think that God couldn’t possibly want what we perceive as a bad or unpleasant season for us. And yet this Scripture passage tells us that God made both, and while we’re alive, we’re going to experience every season—the good and the bad—under heaven.
Pastor Rick Warren often says that life is like a roller coaster: if you’re going up and experiencing a good season, brace yourself because in about three weeks you’ll probably find yourself going down into an unpleasant season, screaming all the way!
We try so hard to hold onto those feel-good seasons, and there’s nothing wrong with that—we should have times of joy, dancing, laughing, loving, and peace. But when the not so good times roll, we need to remember that God has not left us. He’s walking right beside us through the mourning, weeping, uprooting, and war seasons, and that’s when a mentor is so helpful to remind us that she made it through her tough seasons and we will too.
The focus of my book Forsaken God?: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture has Forgottenis for us to remember how good God has been in all the seasons of our life. God never abandons His children. This is a message we need to share with each other and with the culture, especially during these challenging times we live in today.
Reasons for Not Liking our Life Season
Usually, we don’t like our life season because:
It’s painful or uncomfortable.
We’re jealous and like what someone else’s life looks like more than our own life.
We’re living with the consequences of our, or someone else’s, behavior or decisions.
We’re discontent or discouraged.
We’re not sure if God still cares about us.
What would you add to the list?
We all have difficult seasons we want to end. Or maybe we’re in a wonderful season that we never want to end. Many life seasons we have no control over, even though advertisers and the culture would try to make you believe differently. They set us up to fail either way by thinking if we just drink the right cola, take the right pill, own the right car, use the right cosmetics and anti-aging products, eat the right food, reach success . . . every season of our life will be heavenly. The aging clock is going to stop and somehow God made our lives to be different from everyone else’s life.
But that’s a lie and those who buy into it will never be content because everything God lists in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 is a season that everyone will experience.
What to Do When We Don’t Like Our Life Season
We probably feel like crying, screaming, maybe yelling, getting depressed, ignoring, or trying to get out of it. If we’re honest, we’ve all been there.
But soon we realize that the only thing that works when we don’t like our life season is to ask God how He wants us to deal with it, and then listen carefully to how the Holy Spirit speaks to us. It’s that still small voice we hear guiding us when we cry out to God. We might not know how to get through the season, but God does. So often He’s talking, but we’re not listening.
Someone on a friend’s Facebook post asked how my Christian friend knew what God wanted. Did he have a direct line to God? I thought, Yes he does! Every Christian has a direct line to God the world doesn’t understand, and one we don’t use nearly enough: praying to Jesus who hears every word and the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us even when all we can do is groan.
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5
26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Romans 8:26-27
While writing this post, I met a woman whose husband has cancer. As she shared her story, I heard in my mind hug her and pray for her. Mind you, we had just met, and I had already told her I would be praying for her husband and their family since I understood having had breast cancer three times. But as she kept talking, I knew I was to pray for her now. So I said, “Let me pray for you,” and stepped forward to hug her; but she didn’t realize that I meant right then. I knew God meant right then! She needed it and she was so grateful.
I had tried to talk myself out of it, and how many times is God trying to tell us what to do “right then,” but we’re dismissing His words of wisdom to see us through this season and on into the next one. That’s when a mentor can step in and do just what I was able to do for this woman, even though we barely knew each other. Can you imagine how much comfort can come from two women who have a personal mentoring relationship?!
God doesn’t want us going through any season alone, but He also doesn’t want us listening to anyone who isn’t giving us biblical wisdom. That’s why in Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness, every season has Scripture to study together that applies to the various issues women might experience in that season.
Being a mentor, or a mentee reaching out to another woman for guidance, doesn’t mean the mentor has all the answers or the Bible memorized. It just means she’s willing to search God’s Word and pray together for Him to tell you both what to do in the life seasons you might not like right now; and then, you both reach out and help someone else going through something similar.
And that’s exactly what Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 tells us we need to do when we’re going through a life season we don’t like!
https://i0.wp.com/www.heathergillis.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/There-is-a-time-for-every-season-300x300.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1300300Heather Gillishttp://www.heathergillis.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/heather-gillis-logo.pngHeather Gillis2017-09-22 02:00:562017-09-21 14:37:23What to Do When You Don't Like Your Life Season
We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.
Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.
Essential Website Cookies
These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.
Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, you cannot refuse them without impacting how our site functions. You can block or delete them by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website.
Other external services
We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.
Google Webfont Settings:
Google Map Settings:
Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:
Privacy Policy
You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.
Janet Thompson is an international speaker, freelance editor, and award-winning author of 19 books. Her latest release is 
@HeatherGillis6
@HeatherGillis6
@heathergillis6
@heathergillis