Abundance in All Things

"...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

(John 10:10, NKJV)

Are you living the abundant life Jesus came to give? 

I'm not talking about living in the fanciest house or driving the newest car. 

No, His promise of abundant life goes way beyond material things that this world offers. 

Abundant life means "life to the full." 

That means no matter what is going on around you, you can partake of the full blessings of God. 

You can have peace in the midst of a storm. 

You can have joy when things are uncertain. 

You can have hope when circumstances seem hopeless. 

As believers, a lot of times it's easy to look at that verse and think, "God is going to give me abundant life someday." 

But the truth is that God wants you to have abundant life TODAY! 

Don't waste another second living in mediocrity or settling for less than God's best. 

Receive His blessings by faith today. 

Receive His Hope, Joy, Strength and Favor. 

Declare that you are living the abundant life today and every day!

"A Prayer for Today"

Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, so that I can have eternal life. I know that You want the best for me. Help me to keep my heart and mind focused on You so that I can walk in Your ways all the days of my life in Jesus' name. 

Amen."

Have a TERRIFIC WEEKEND!!!

Stay Strong!!!  

Never Over...

'We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed." (NKJV) 

   --  2 Corinthians 4:8–9 

No matter how bad it seems, how surrounded you feel on all sides, how overwhelmed and inundated your situation has become . . . it's NEVER OVER!!

Paul felt that in his ministry. 

Opposition constantly hammered his efforts to reach people for Christ. 

That didn't mean it was all over. 

You can take a two-by-four to a car and smash out all the windows and headlights, and dent every inch of the hood and side panels, and the car will still drive. 

It'll look terrible, but it will get you places. 

If you're beat up, don't give up. 

If you're struck down, don't stay down. 

It may look bad, but it's not hopeless. 

God paid the price for beaten lives. 

He's in the restoration business."

From "The 100 Most Encouraging Bible Passages "

Stay Strong!

Our "True North"

 "For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." (NKJV) 

    -- 1 Corinthians 14:33

"If you're lost and confused, unable to make heads or tails of the situation, trying to find your way out of a dark tunnel with no idea where the exit is . . . that's not God's fault. 

If things are spinning out of control, falling apart and there's no order in the court . . . don't blame God. 

God is not about confusion and disorder. 

He makes sense. 

He's clear as day. He is light. 

He is the way. 

You can't get lost with God. 

Confusion is not from God. 

Nor is chaos. 

Those things happen when a person looks somewhere besides God, making detours that made sense at the time but eventually led nowhere. 

If things are chaotic in your world, it's because you're trying to do things by your own effort. 

You trust only yourself to get it done. 

You may be working with a group of people but soon learn that they all have their own compasses, pointing in different directions. 

Make God your true north. 

USE HIM as a flashlight in darkness. 

Follow His straight path to righteousness. 

Everything makes sense to God. 

He's at peace and wants you to join Him."

From "The 100 Most Encouraging Bible Verses"

Stay Strong!!!

Who Can Be Against Us?

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

(ESV) 

Romans 8:31

"If God is for you, on your side, cheering you on, what opponent could possibly overcome Him? 

We want life to be like a blowout in sports.

A blowout occurs when one team scores in the opening seconds and continues to pound the opponents with more points, blocking the opponents from ever scoring. 48–0. 76–0. 102–0. 

Life isn't like that. 

We face forces that push back and get ahead at times. 

We'll score big in a relationship, then lose a job. 

Or we'll ace our exam, only to have our car stolen. 

We'll see a prayer answered, then get bad news from the doctor. 

During those times we want to think God has lost His edge, that the enemy found His weakness and we're doomed to lose. 

As long as we live on earth, the score will go up and down. 

All God promises is that at the final buzzer, all those who believe in Him will win. 

It might seem like a close game, but it's not. 

No matter how difficult life may have been, a believer in Christ will stand in the winner's circle with Jesus, holding His hand high. 

You will win because God is eternally for you!"

》》》》》》》》》

From "The 100 Most Encouraging Passages from the Bible."

Stay Strong!!

Who Can Be Against Us?

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

(ESV) 

Romans 8:31

"If God is for you, on your side, cheering you on, what opponent could possibly overcome Him? 

We want life to be like a blowout in sports.

A blowout occurs when one team scores in the opening seconds and continues to pound the opponents with more points, blocking the opponents from ever scoring. 48–0. 76–0. 102–0. 

Life isn't like that. 

We face forces that push back and get ahead at times. 

We'll score big in a relationship, then lose a job. 

Or we'll ace our exam, only to have our car stolen. 

We'll see a prayer answered, then get bad news from the doctor. 

During those times we want to think God has lost His edge, that the enemy found His weakness and we're doomed to lose. 

As long as we live on earth, the score will go up and down. 

All God promises is that at the final buzzer, all those who believe in Him will win. 

It might seem like a close game, but it's not. 

No matter how difficult life may have been, a believer in Christ will stand in the winner's circle with Jesus, holding His hand high. 

You will win because God is eternally for you!"

》》》》》》》》》

From "The 100 Most Encouraging Passages from the Bible."

Stay Strong!!

Shared Grief

"O LORD, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.  

Hide not your face from me in the day of my distress."

    ~ Ps 102.2-3

Praise in a Minor Key

We're not supposed to doubt that God hears us; we're not supposed to question his whereabouts; we're not supposed to cry, "How dare you?"  

It makes us uneasy to admit that we feel angry at or disappointed in God.  

We may worry that we are being disrespectful or even blasphemous if we express anything short of good old-fashioned praise and glory.  

Many psalms invite us to loosen the shackles of propriety in our prayer.   

Indeed, today's verses are thick with the anguish of unresolved pain: 

"Hide not your face from me in the day of my distress."  

And God does sometimes seem to go missing in our moment of greatest need.  

In giving us permission to lament this felt absence, to express our frustration, the psalms broaden the possibilities for prayer.   

It is a curious paradox that the Psalms are entitled Tehillim, which in Hebrew means "Praises," because in fact the psalms of lament outnumber the psalms of praise.  

Could it be that we praise God NOT by presenting him a nicely-wrapped catalog of "appropriate" sentiments when we pray, but by offering all the contents of our hearts, including pain, doubt, anger, and fear?  

The American poet Richard Wilbur conveys this beautifully in his poem "Psalm." After four stanzas that connect the thanksgivings and praises of the psalms with the bright sounds of the lute, the horn, the flute, and the drum, he ends:   

"Then, in grave relief, / Praise too our sorrows on the / Cello of shared grief."  

Compassionate God, Grant that I may sing your praises always, in major and minor keys alike.  

Amen.

>>>>  From Betsy Cahill

Stay Strong!!

For today's readings, 

click here:  http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040417.cfm

Perfectly Matched

Happy Monday All!!!

"Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage."

Ecclesiastes 5:18, NKJV)

Focus on What You Have

The scripture talks about how God has given us the power to enjoy what is allotted and appointed to us. 

That simply means that I don't have the power to enjoy your life. 

You may have more success, more money, more friends or a better job, but if you put me in your life, I'm not going to enjoy it. 

We are uniquely designed to run our own race.

When we truly understand and embrace this, we won't be tempted to compare or wish we had what someone else has. 

You won't think, "If only I had their talent…" 

No, if God wanted you to have that talent, He would have given it to you. 

Instead, take what you have and develop it. 

Make the most of it. 

Don't think, "If only I had her looks…" 

No, God gave you your looks. 

That's not an accident. 

The life you have has been perfectly matched for you.

Now, you've got to do your part and get excited about your life. 

Be excited about who you are—your looks, your talent, your ability, your personality. 

When you're passionate about who you are, it brings honor to God. 

That's when God will breathe in your direction and the seeds of greatness in you will take root and begin to flourish!

A Prayer for Today

"Father, I thank You for giving me the gifts, talents and abilities to enjoy life and accomplish Your will. Today, I choose to put my trust and hope in You knowing that You have equipped me for the destiny You have for me in Jesus' name. 

Amen."

Stay Strong!!