I'm Just Not Feeling It!

There are times when I'm just not feeling it...

Sometimes I feel like not doing anything at all.  I might even feel like just being alone.  I sense this feeling of carelessness come over me.  Maybe I'm just tired, or sleepy, thinking too much, or overwhelmed. I feel without emotion or strength for no reason at all.  Perhaps I'm just not in a good mood. But, with time I have learned the true meaning behind these emotions.

I have learned to understand that its not a feeling, but a yearning.  

I feel this way because my self desires to draw near to Him.  I have learned that it is my body's natural way of reminding me that something is missing.  Usually, I just feel like I need some alone time with Jesus, not necessarily because I may think I need him, but I feel like its His way of calling me.  I have learned that more often than not, God is trying to reveal something to me or lead me to something important in my life.

I have slowly learned to not only hear the voice of God, but also to feel his presence surrounding me.  When this happens I feel like I can't do anything else until I have some alone time with Him. I do whatever it takes to find some quiet time with Him because I no longer want to feel this way.  I make sure that I'm not just taking a few minutes or keeping track of the time while I'm with Him, but I just simply and genuinely spend some alone time with God. I get on my knees and begin to think of Him.  I think of His Goodness and all that He has done for me.  It is amazing to see him transform me from my inner most being.  The Holy Spirit just takes over and begins to transform and change me by removing those unwanted feelings and replacing them with love, hope and trust.

The hardest part is simply doing it. I just have to submit!

Once I'm alone and focused on Him the Spirit just leads me.  He leads me to places in my mind, thoughts and ideas, feelings and emotions that I need to focus on. That sense of weary and carelessness is suddenly lifted off of me.  I no longer "feel" heavy, tired or overwhelmed.  But, with renewed strength I feel prepared to face any challenge ahead or to simply maintain my hope and peace.  Most of all, in my conversations with Him, I am reminded of how much he loves me and how important this friendship is to me.

I encourage you today to tap into that inner self.

Have you spent much time alone with God lately?  When was the last time you spent some quiet time meditating on the word of God, on His promises, thanking him for what he's already done, thanking Him for what He's going to do.  Believe that God has a good word for you and learn to listen to Him.  He might choose to speak to you in a different way than the way he speaks to me, but learn to understand where your "feelings" are coming from and to hear or feel God calling you.

God wants to hear from us at all times.  Maybe you are going through a difficult season in your life right now or perhaps you're perfectly fine and everything is going well.  Nonetheless, remember that  God is your friend.  And just like any other friendship, it is important that we continue to build on that relationship in order for the friendship to grow and for trust to build.

So, I encourage you to get out of your comfort zone.  Drop the t.v. remote, stop watching you tube videos or scrolling through facebook and spend some hard core quality time with the one who made you.  The one who gives and takes away.  The one who yearns for you to be closer to Him.  The one who brings you peace and restores your home.

 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but 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 40:29-31

I hope and pray you have been inspired and motivated.  Please share it forward.
 

Hold on to hope

Romans 15:13

May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing, through the experience of your faith that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing with hope.

It’s so easy these days to lose hope. I never liked using the word hope because I thought of hope as something I desired.  Sort of like wishful thinking as in “I hope I get this or that, I hope this or that happens." According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, the definition of hope is to want something to happen or be true and think that it could happen or be true.  This definition implies that hope is associated with our own willingness to want and to think something will happen. But learning how the word of God uses and defines hope has taught me to change my thinking and perspective on many things in my life. What is hope then you say?

The biblical definition of hope is "to have a confident expectation." Hope is a firm assurance regarding things that are unclear and unknown. Romans 8:24 says: “For in this hope we were saved.  But hope which is seen is not hope.  For how can one hope for what he already sees?” So how do we hope in something that is unclear or not seen? Well, this is where God comes in.  We need to learn to trust in his promises for us.  Hope is simply about that which cannot yet be seen. To have hope is to have a confident expectation that God will get you through all of your trials.  That in the midst of your storms you can confidently enjoy life because God is with you and his presence brings joy to your life.

Before my recent move to Florida many people asked me how I could leave just like that.  Many of my friends and family had more questions than I had answers to.How can you move to Florida and quit your 12 year old teaching career? And what about your pension?  Do you have a job secured in Florida? And what about your family? How can you leave your kids, grandkids, parents, sisters, friends and family behind?  Do you have any family out there? Do you know anyone in Florida? Where will you live? What part of Florida will you move to?  Why this, why that?

Every single question was valid.  I wondered some of the same things myself. But let me tell you, I learned that God is not so interested in our questions as much as he’s interested in our trust in him.Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t just drop everything and move to Florida. I had a five year plan but even after five years, I still came here with many questions unanswered. But this is how I learned to trust God. So, I focused on his plan for me trusting him completely instead of asking him so many questions because I knew that if he would get me to Florida he would take care of everything else. And there’s only one way I can do all of this and it’s because of this little word called-hope. A word I never really believed in using because I always thought of hope as my own doing.

But now, I clearly understand that to have hope is to be confident in the promises that the bible declares to have been given to me.  It is because I believe, not because I can see; that I rest assured that my God fills me with daily joy and peace. And by the power of the Holy Spirit I overflow with hope. I am totally confident that that God is with me, that his protection covers me, that he sends me his help and frees me from all anxiety, fear and worry.  I am confident in the plans he has for me.

His plans are to prosper me and bring me hope (Jeremiah 29:11).As promised in Romans 12:12 and 15:13, hope produces joy and peace inside of us through the power of the Holy Spirit. So, if you were wondering how I did it and how I continue to enjoy my life every day while still lacking so many things, now you know. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit and the hope that produces joy in my life that I can live a life in peace regardless of my pain and struggles. I rejoice in knowing that my God gives me strength, gives me his love, but most of all hope.

I pray this devotional has blessed you and inspired you to live your dream and most of all to hope.  If so, please comment and share your story.

Be Blessed…

On His Stage

On His Stage

“I don’t need my name in lights, I’m famous in my father’s eyes.  Make no mistake, He knows my name.”

I am a worshiper at heart and more often than not I find myself inspired by music and song.  On this particular day I was driving to work listening to this catchy tune by one of my favorite Christian artist Francesca Battistelli.  This catchy tune has been playing all around Christian radio stations for a while, but today it inspired me to think about my current situation. 

I feel honored to have been a mentor for so many women in my life; friends, family and even brand new babies in Jesus.  But I’ve always yearned to have a spiritual mentor myself, someone who could pour out to me on a regular basis with spiritual wisdom, someone who I could go to in my desperate times of need.  I have a few friends back home that I trust and love dearly, mighty women of God who will pray for me and my needs at the drop of a hat.

But today, during my time of worship I felt the Holy Spirit say to me:

“I am your mentor.  I am the great I AM.  Embrace me with open arms. You have been called to serve in this capacity.  I use you to pour into other people’s lives. I AM YOUR mentor, who better than I?  I am the source.  I am the truth the way and the light.  I am the friend you so desperately seek.  I sit by your side as you sip your cup of tea and curl up on the couch wearing your favorite pajamas. And I always listen.” 

This moment was so personal.  I felt him right there next to me.  His voice speaking to me softly, telling me that if I keep my focus on Him, there is no need to focus on what others can do for me, but to focus on how I, can serve others and on how much God loves me.

And so the birth of this blog begins… a journey to serving others. 

God has given me many divine appointments, opportunities to be his hands and feet.  To pray for women, to comfort, lend a helping hand, to help when no one else can, to help when no one else cares, to help when they can’t help themselves. To listen, to call, to pray, to cry, to simply care, that is my calling. Extending the gift of Grace to those in need.

I don’t need my name in lights. I’m not living for applause, I’m already so adored. There’s no mistake.  He created me in his likeness and image. To be his hands and feet.  I am on His stage. I am loved. 

He knows my name…

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Psalm 139:9-10  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 

Genesis 1:2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Genesis 1:10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.