Tag Archives: inspirational

Sep26

DAY 268 (2014)

Posted on September 26, 2014 by lsgrlr

So true!

Yesterday I went for an interview. It is for a really good company, I previously applied for the same position with the company. I even went as far as flying to NY from Florida to do the testing. However, a week after I was informed that I was no longer a candidate for the position. I was disappointed, but I let it go. Yesterday when I sat with the interviewer he pulled up my info and then got this rather quizzical look on his face. His expression said, “What the heck?!” So I asked, “Why do you have that expression on your face?” He laughed and said, “I have never been able to control my expressions. I have gotten in trouble a lot for that.” I told him I’d like to play a game of poker with him… 🙂 . He laughed and then said this, “I don’t understand why you didn’t make it through the last time. You passed the testing.” Huh… we continued the interview (I did not have to take the test again… Yay!). On the drive home I started to wonder as to why God had closed a door that could have had me moving to Western New York with a job to come to? Then my mind ran across my friend Karla. Why is this so important? I wrote a post about her recently (not sure of the DAY). She is a friend that I had invited to church on multiply occasions, each time she told me no. However, she finally said yes in July. Had the comapny hired me I would have left Florida in March, never attempting to ask her again. Then my mind ran across Miss A. Miss A was a patient who previously had gone through chemo, was found to have resolution of the disease. However, several months later in April was diagnosed with a new very aggressive form of cancer that literally has a six week window of life expectancy (that is the standard prognosis for most people diagnosed with this form of cancer). During that time I bought her a devotional because I felt that God told me to do so. It is now September and Miss A is not only is alive, but walking and talking on her own (which is miraculous). Here’s what I realized God had a reason that was BIGGER than I could have imagined. His purpose was eternal. Today Karla has inherited a peace that she says she can’t explain. Miss A’s husband once told me that both he and his wife read the devotional everyday. It’s the first thing they do every morning. Yesterday the interviewer said something else that floored me. “When a door is closed it is ALWAYS for a reason”. He’ll never know how true his words were. God had a much better plan.

“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open” (Revelation 3:7).

Lesson: Let God shut and open the doors as He wills. The outcome will always be worth it.

Side story: Today I got a phone call for Final Interview… God’s got a plan 🙂

Sep19

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on September 19, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Judges 6. “Then the Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?’ So he said to Him, ‘O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.’Then he said to Him, ‘If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me. Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You'” (Verses 14-18). I advice you all to read this Chapter it is rich with practical and honest Christianity. I have always loved the story of Gideon, perhaps because for me it is the one of the most relatable stories in the Bible. Gideon’s reactions and interaction to and with God are so very, very, well, human. He reacted the way I would have. God shows up and tells him that he will be the one to defeat the Midianites, and what’s Gideon’s answer: “Lord, uhmm, not only is my clan the weakest here, but I am the weakest among them.” Gideon’s answer boils down to this: Lord you have the WRONG guy. what was God’s answer, “I will be with you, you will WIN.” This morning I woke up and was immediately greeted by bad news. I felt disappointed and my first thought was this, “Lord I just need a chance, an opportunity.” Enter Gideon and God’s reply, “I am with you, you will WIN”. Gideon was the least of the least and God led him to great victory. God wants a willing heart, willing to follow even when we don’t understand and don’t see what He sees. Gideon could not wrap his mind around the fact that God wanted to use him, but instead of saying no. He praised Him and brought Him an offering. Right now I could whine because I didn’t get what I wanted, but I am going to follow Gideon’s example. I will praise God, because although I may not fully understand. I trust He has a reason and a better plan. He who calls us is FAITHFUL, He will ALWAYS ACCOMPLISH what He set out to do.

Sep18

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on September 18, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Judges 5. “When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves—praise the Lord! So may all your enemies perish, Lord! But may all who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength” (Verses 1, 31). Praise the Lord when the people WILLINGLY offer themselves. Willingness is all God’s requires. A heart that willingly serves. A life that willingly gives. Many times our service is not willing as much as it is symbiotic, you know, the “you scratch my back I scratch yours” way of service. “Sure I’ll serve God, if He does…” However, that is not service. Service says I will give, even if I don’t get. It is the willingness of the heart that God looks at. This selflessness leads to the destruction of our idols, the tearing down of the wall that separates us from God. It brings us into “real” relationship with Him. And as we walk with Him we see the enemy of our souls perish. Because who can be against us, if God is for us. My prayer for us today: “May all who love God be like the sun when it rises in its strength!”

Sep17

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on September 17, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Judges 4. “Barak said to her, ‘If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.’ ‘Certainly I will go with you,’ said Deborah. ‘But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.’ So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. There Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him” (Verses 8-10). This morning these verses hit me the most. Now you’re probably thinking it is because God used a woman to defeat the enemy. Not gonna lie, as a female I am a little proud. Although it is awesome to see God use both Deborah and Jael, they are not the point of the devotion. No, what God spoke to my heart came from these words: In speaking to Deborah, Barak, (commander of GOD’S army) says to Deborah, “If you go, I will go, but if you do not go, I won’t”. Uhmmm…. what?! Here’s why this is a problem, in verse 6, Deborah summons Barak and gives him this instruction, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go'”. God told him to go, why does he need Deborah? Note to it doesn’t say God suggests, it says COMMANDS. Would he seriously have disobeyed God’s command had the judge said she wouldn’t go? Barak looked to the messenger of God, instead of the God who gave the message. Thus, from him was taken away the reward that comes with complete obedience. He was the commander of the army, yet the blessing of the victory was given to a woman. We are Barak, we follow our pastor’s, our teacher’s. We jump, when they say jump, we give, when they say give. Forgetting they are just the messenger. A tool in the hands of God to refine and teach us. Don’t focus on the instrument, focus on the One that created it. Don’t lose the blessing.

Sep16

DAY 258 (2014)

Posted on September 16, 2014 by lsgrlr

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First step gets you to the door, second step gets you through it.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

So today I had this thought. “The first step is scary. But the second step gets you through the door.” I am not sure where the thought came from (well that’s not 100% true. Duh, God), but it has permeated my day invading my thoughts. I have accomplished a lot more in the last three weeks than I have in most of my adult life. I let go of my past and took the step necessary to grab a hold of my future. That’s quite an accomplishment, that is not to say that where I came from was bad. On the contrary I left a great job, great patients, and great friends to embark on a journey to find God’s “best” and not just live in “great”. Now that I have made the first step, moving. It is time for the second step, acclimating. The culture in Western, NY is a lot different from South Florida. For example last night I left my house at midnight to run out and get something. I was shocked to find that there was no one on the road. WEIRD!!!! I mean that literally NO ONE was on the road, just me (this makes me wonder why they have 24 hour anything here). Midnight in Florida the roads would still have tons of cars, and not from people going home, but from people going out. Clearly this part of New York is the part that does sleep, a lot. As I have been thinking about the things I miss the most, ie., my church home, my hairdresser, and my friends. It dawned on me that those are things God wants to give me here as well. Granted they won’t be a replica of what I left behind, but they will be exactly what I need for this leg of the journey. How do I get them? Take the next step. Step one gets us to the destination, but it is the second step that gets us through the door. This is not just true of life, but of our walk with God as well. Many times we’re comfortable with the first step, asking God for help. But it is the second step, doing what He says that tends to give us pause. Life is about the journey, that’s true. But journeys are meant to bring us to a destination. Don’t just take the first step, take the second as well. Don’t just arrive, thrive.

“Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing” (Genesis 12:1).

Lesson: The second step is just as important as the first. The first gets you to the door, the second gets you through it.

Sep15

DAY 257 (2014)

Posted on September 15, 2014 by lsgrlr

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By faith the seed dies, so the flower can bloom. Each new bud is the realization of the seed of faith.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

Fasting. I can’t say it without laughing. Why? Because anytime I do it something always comes up that makes me think, “I wish I had put this off till tomorrow” (yes, I am a horrible Christian 🙂 ). Yesterday I fasted and yes, had the thought. It was family day, my brother came over to watch football and my mom spent ALL DAY COOKING really good smelling food. Sigh… life can be unfair 🙁 . Here’s the irony for most days in the week I can go almost all day without eating, and never feel hungry. But the moment the lack of eating is attributed to giving that time to God, it becomes the most unbearable, hardest thing I could ever encounter. Human nature 101: we don’t normally want something until we can’t have it. Today as I sat reflecting on the things that God showed me yesterday. It hit me that the point of fasting was not to get God to do what I want. It is about the letting go of something I want, to achieve something I need. The question: Are we willing to give something up, and allow God to fill that spot? Fasting is about the discipline. Yes. The discipline. The ability to bring our flesh (that spends most of its time warring against spiritual things), under God’s control. Fasting brings us closer to God, because it allows our flesh to see that there is something greater than itself. Feeling a little distant, walking with the Lord feels strained? Don’t worry it simply means your spirit and your flesh are at war. The solution: let your spirit win. Bring the flesh under God’s control. Nothing accomplishes that like fasting.

“But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21).

Lesson: Fasting brings our flesh under God’s control.

Sep11

DAY 253 (2014)

Posted on September 11, 2014 by lsgrlr

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Sometimes life’s little irritations are just God’s way of protecting us.

If you ever are in doubt that God takes care of us. Let me be a testament to the fact that He does. So this post was initially going to be me whining, but it turned into a praise that I didn’t see coming. Let take a step back, yesterday I went to BJ’s wholesale I decided it would be more cost effective to buy the things we use most (ie. toilet paper, paper towels etc.) in bulk. This way in the long run we purchase less and save more. I picked up what we needed went to the register and my ATM card was declined. The cashier said, “Maybe you miss typed your pin. Try again.” So, I tried again, still declined. I am fed up and a little embarrassed, but I also know there is money in my account so it shouldn’t be declining. I decide to pay with a credit card. When I got home I saw a missed call from a former co-worker stating that my bank had called about my ATM card. ???? Why’d they call my old job and not me? I immediately called my bank, but I was literally on hold for an hour when the call hung up. I decide to call in the morning. However, this morning when I woke up I totally forgot (I recently moved to NY from Florida there’s a lot going on). I was reminded again when I tried to purchase gas… This time I was determined to stay on the phone till I got a representative. I called my bank only to find out from the representative that at the same time I was using my card in Williamsville, NY, someone else was using it in Miami, Fl! The irony is not lost on me. Here’s the praise part, none of my money was touched! Not one dime, because… GOD. Literally at the same moment I used my card they tried to use it as well and this set off all kinds of red flags and immediately my bank deactivated my card. DEAR Lord thank you!!!! Here’s the deal I am currently unemployed (although I do have an interview tomorrow, so please pray), so had they been successful I would have been wiped out. This same thing has happen to several of my friends and in all cases they lost a lot of money, money the bank replaced, but it took time. Yesterday when my card didn’t work I was irritated, today when my card didn’t work I was irritated. However, after learning why it didn’t work, my irritation turned to praise. Here’s the deal we don’t always understand life’s inconveniences, things like traffic jams, lost keys, misplaced items, and ATM cards that don’t work are sometimes God’s way of protecting us from something worse. God is always taking care of us, ALWAYS.

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor My covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you” (Isaiah 54:10).

The Lesson: Keep your eyes fixed on Christ. It will help you to see His hand working even in life’s little irritations.

Sep11

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on September 11, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Joshua 22. “You have done all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded,and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded. For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your fellow Israelites but have carried out the mission the Lord your God gave you. Now that the Lord your God has given them rest as He promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to Him, to keep His commands, to hold fast to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Verses 2-5). The tribes that settled on the outside of the Jordan kept their promise. They fought along side Israel until the entire promise was realized. They did not complain, nor did they sneak away, they remained faithful to their vow. Joshua not only allows them to go home, but he sends them away with great wealth. What happens next? “So the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan to return to Gilead, their own land, which they had acquired in accordance with the command of the Lord through Moses. When they came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar there by the Jordan. And when the Israelites heard that they had built the altar on the border of Canaan at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side, the whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them” (Verses 9-12). On their way home, at the border they stop and built not just an altar, but an IMPOSING altar. I am guessing that means it was extra, extra BIG. Israel gears up for war. Why? Because they believed that their brothers had fallen outside of God’s law, and that the alter was for some other god, not the Lord God. Side note: I like Israel’s quick action toward possible sin. It is an example to us. Sin should not be allowed to linger, the moment we see it, it needs to be dealt with (this is for me as well). However, “Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the clans of Israel: ‘The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows! And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to the Lord, do not spare us this day. If we have built our own altar to turn away from the Lord and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the Lord Himself call us to account. No! We did it for fear that some day your descendants might say to ours, What do you have to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? The Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you—you Reubenites and Gadites! You have no share in the Lord. So your descendants might cause ours to stop fearing the Lord'” (Verses 21-25). It was not an altar to a false god, but a memorial to the greatness of the Lord God. A reminder to Israel that they had brothers on the other side of the Jordan. Sometimes we get settled in our Christianity, so settled that those who are not like us, are seen as less than. The Reubenites and the Gadites wanted Israel to be mindful that they served the same God, loved the same God, and obeyed the same God… even if they were not the same as Israel. “Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders returned to Canaan from their meeting with the Reubenites and Gadites in Gilead and reported to the Israelites. They were glad to hear the report and praised God. And they talked no more about going to war against them to devastate the country where the Reubenites and the Gadites lived. And the Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar this name: A Witness Between Us—that the Lord is God” (Verses 32-34). Israel returned with the good report, and the people praised God. Then the Reudenites and the Gadites name the place A Witness Between Us-That The Lord is GOD. A witness that the Lord is God. It’s not just a reminder for then, it is a reminder for now as well. Remember who Christ is… He is the Lord God.

Sep10

DAY 252 (2014)

Posted on September 10, 2014 by lsgrlr

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First and foremost to all those who left prayers for me due to yesterday’s post. THANK YOU!!!! Today I can honestly say I woke up with a completely different perspective. Today I wanted to tell you a story about God’s grace, about being used despite believing yourself unusable.

Bed of Blessing:

Give and it shall be giving to you…
Picture by Lisa R.

In the course of our move from Florida to NY, my mom had to give up her bed. Why? Two reason: 1. Her mattress was giving her back pain. 2. We needed to minimize. So why not get rid of something that was causing her pain. Makes sense, no? When we settled in our new home, mom had a room, a bed frame, and a headboard, but no mattress. However, that was not the only issue we faced. We moved from a three bedroom house to a two bedroom apartment (although incredibly spacious, still an apartment), thus the bedrooms were considerable smaller. A king would not fit the space mom had. Moving without a job means you have to be conscious of every penny spent, the lack of a job means money will go out, but not come back in. I prayed about the most efficient way to fill mom’s need of sleeping accommodations. First thought get her a king mattress, sure she would have no space in her room (to move or breath), but at least she’d have a place to sleep. One day in my quiet time, I heard God clearly say, “Bless her”. Okay now let’s back track, by telling you a little about my mom. She’s the kind of person who would give you her last dime, if she genuinely believed it would help you. I watched her drain her retirement plan to make sure that my brother could graduate college. At a time when my father had a good paying job and could help, he kept saying that he would, but some how was NEVER able to (I am not angry with him, but not gonna lie it still hurts when I think about it). My great, great aunt died a couple years after my mom was laid off, and left her money. Instead of hoarding it and storing it up for her retirement, she used that money to pay off mine and my brother’s school debt. Are you seeing her pattern? So when God said, “Bless her.” I said, “Okay God, but…” (my brother and I have not reached her level of selflessness yet, but I hope to someday).But I have bills, but I have limited funds, but… God’s answer, “Bless her”, So obediently yet reluctantly I started to search for beds, and mattresses. We found what we wanted at SEARS. What is amazing is that we were able to purchase a top of the line mattress, and a beautiful bed frame, for less than it would have cost me to purchase one king size mattress! Blessing number one. Today my mom’s bed arrived. She was like a little kid. So excited. She kept saying, “Thank you Lord. Thank you for this blessing.” She kept thanking me for being generous. I can’t explain what it did to my heart to know I was able to give back to someone who has always without hesitation given to me. Blessing number two… PRICELESS. Then God reminded me that He blesses those who willing bless others. He reminded me that the call of the Christian, the follower of Christ is to give and not expect in return. Something my mom had done for years, and today God returned it to her, “A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over“.

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38).

Today’s Lesson: Be a blessing and you will be blessed… pressed down, shaken together, running over.

Sep10

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on September 10, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Joshua 21. “The towns of the Levites in the territory held by the Israelites were forty-eight in all, together with their pasturelands. Each of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it; this was true for all these towns. So the Lord gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands. Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled” (Verses 41-45). Have you ever read something or heard something, then thought to yourself… “Ahhhh, just what I needed”? Reading these verses today, refreshed my soul and renewed my spirit within me. This right here is the beauty of God. His ability to say just what we need to hear, when we need to hear it. The trick to hearing? Being prepared to listen. God is always speaking, always communicating. However, we, His creation are not always listening. In fact we are almost NEVER listening. We are too busy listening to the negatives things of the world instead of listening for the positive things of God. Too busy trying to fit in, instead of becoming what WE are meant to be. This morning I am reminded that GOD KEEPS His PROMISES. ALL of them. Not one will be left unfulfilled. MY SOUL. AT. EASE.