by Alisha | Aug 25, 2013 | Uncategorized
I want to encourage you today that no matter what youâre going through, you are not alone. You donât have to worry and fret trying to figure out what youâre going to do, how youâre going to take care of yourself, provide for yourself, or protect yourself.
Why? Because you are not an orphan. You are not hopeless and you are not helpless. You have not been abandoned.
In John 14:18 (KJV), Jesus said He would not leave us âcomfortless.â That word in the Greek is orphanos, which is where we get the word âorphan.â In fact, all modern Bibles translate it this way.
The Amplified Bible says, âI will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, helpless]âŠâ
Orphans are children who have lost or been abandoned by their parents. They have to worry about everything. They have no one to comfort them, to provide for them or to take care of their most basic needs. Orphans have to constantly think about where their next meal is going to come from, where they can shelter for the night, and how they can stay protected from those who would harm them.
Very little (if any) comfort is found in the life of an orphan. Orphans have no one to love them. No one to hold and embrace them, to tell them that everything is going to be all right. They are utterly alone.
If we are not careful, we can develop an âorphan mentality,â thinking that we are all on our own and that if we donât find a way to take care of ourselves, then no one else will. We can get so consumed with cares and worries that we are constantly wondering what we are going to do about a certain situation.
But we must remember that we are children of the Most High God. Your Father holds the universe in His hands and He knows everything you have or donât have. He is faithful and devoted to you. He loves you immensely (Eph. 2:4 AMP). He cares about you affectionately (1 Pet. 5:7 AMP). He delights in every detail of your life (Ps. 37:23 NLT). And Heâs promised to meet every one of your needs (Phil. 4:19 NLT).
He wants to bless you in every area of your life!
If you are worrying and fretting, trying to figure out how you are going to meet your needs or fix your situation, then youâve forgotten who you are. In fact, youâve taken on an âorphan mentality.â And if you are thinking like an orphan, then itâs time to remind yourself Who you belong to.
Thereâs no reason to worry if your needs are going to be met or if your difficult situation will ever turn around when the God of the universe is your Father. He will never abandon you, nor leave you comfortless. He will always take care of you and always provide for you. Ask Him to help you, then trust in His faithfulness. Remember Who you belong to and that He will never leave you alone!
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(photo credit)
by Alisha | May 27, 2013 | Uncategorized
1. Morning time with the Lord
My days always seem to run a bit more smoothly when they begin in my study — the one place in our home that is solely mine. This is the place where I spend reading and meditating on the Word, and fellowshipping with the Lord in prayer. This is the time when my spirit is strengthened, my soul is restored, and my attitude is adjusted. I crave this precious time when the Lord speaks His tender love to me, showing me His mercy and grace, and romancing my heart. Time in His presence is vital.
2. Hot tea
A nice hot cuppa always accompanies my morning time with the Lord. It’s also a lovely little “pick-me-up” for the kids and me around 3pm. (Hey, we’re not Brits, so we don’t have to wait til 4- or 5 o’clock!) My daughter, Olivia, and I also usually have another cup around 8pm. And depending on what kind of day it is, we may have another sprinkled in there. I must say, I thoroughly and completely agree with the following statement:
3. Quality time with my husband
Ahh…I love this man! And I love spending quality time with him. Heck, it doesn’t even have to be “quality” time as long as we’re together. Whether we’re on a date at a nice restaurant, having a heart-to-heart discussion in which we share our hopes and dreams together, or just sitting in front of a Braves baseball game at home while he reads and I write, I just love being with him. And now, since he travels overseas ministering so often, time with him means even more to me!
4. Spontaneous hugs from my kids
They’re not so little anymore…not under my feet like they used to be. In fact, they are all involved in their own little worlds and their own interesting hobbies. But it sure does this mama’s heart good when they come up to me and give me a big ole hug! Two of them are taller than me now, so it’s not the same as it used to be…but they’re still my “babies.” And they still know how to make my day!
5. Family time
Another thing that makes my day is our family time. We enjoy game nights, family dates out, movie-a-thons (we’re currently in the middle of a Doctor Who fest — for the 3rd or 4th time), or getaways whenever we can. Most of these times are spent laughing with or at each other! We love to laugh!
6. A hard workout & dripping buckets of sweat
Well, I must admit it has finally happened. The girl who couldn’t stand to sweat or do cardio of any sort has fallen in love with it! I must say I amaze myself! đ That awesome feeling after giving 100% during a strenuous workout totally makes my day. I know I am doing something wonderful for me as well as for my family.
7. Rainy days
There’s nothing so wonderful to me as the sound of the heavy downpour of rain, and especially when it’s accompanied by rolling thunder. As a teen, I loved to wrap up in a blanket and sit on our front porch swing during a thunderstorm. Unfortunately, the position of the porch swing of our current home would leave me drenched if I did that now. So, I’ve settled for curling up on my comfy sofa under my goose down comforter to listen to it pour outside my windows.
8. My down comforter
And, as mentioned in the above point, I love to snuggle under my down comforter — even in the summer (as long as the air conditioning is on). Soft, fluffy and extremely comforting, it makes my day and night. The joke in our family is, the moment I lie down on the sofa and cover up with it, I am “out like a light” — even during the middle of an extremely LOUD action movie.
9. My laptop (and iPhone)
Is it weird that my laptop or smart phone can make my day? As a writer, it’s hard to be without my laptop since I can type faster than I can write out by hand (although, I’m not so fast on the iPhone). But I thoroughly love having the “world” at my fingertips through the internet. I love to be able to connect with friends near and far. I love being able to encourage others with the Word of God through this blog on my little laptop. A couple of times I have left it at church or at my mom’s overnight, and it felt like I had left a child there. (Hmm…I guess that is a little weird, huh?)
10. Anything that reminds me of England
As I’ve mentioned many times before, I am an Anglophile. And anytime I get to read an update or see a picture that reminds me of the time my husband and I spent in England, I get a little bit of a thrill. I can’t wait to be able to go back and take my kids there to visit! Hopefully, it will be very soon! (The picture below is of Dove Cottage, the home of poet William Wordsworth. It is located in Grasmere, in the beautiful Lake District of England.)
What are some of the little — or not so little — things that make your day? Leave me a comment below to let me know!
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Linking up with the lovely ladies of iHomeschool Network for the “10 in 10 Series” & with Many Little Blessings for “Top 10 Tuesdays.”
by Alisha | Feb 11, 2013 | Uncategorized
2 Cor 4:16-18 (NLT) We never give upâŠour present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.Â
No matter what youâre going through, no matter what youâre facing, you can and will make it through. Never give up! Never give in!
I know it seems hard. I know you may feel like youâre never going to make it through to the other side, but if youâll keep standing in faith, you will!
Did you know the Bible calls all of our struggles and trials small? In fact, the King James Version calls them âlightâ afflictions. Yes, I know, they donât seem very small or âlight.â In fact, most of the time they seem big, heavy, and burdensome. They may even seem insurmountable, overwhelming and potentially devastating.
But we must put these struggles in perspective. We must view them in light of eternity. We must look at the grand scheme of things, and take Godâs view of the situation. Remember, with Him nothing is impossible (Lk. 1:37). He always gives you the victory (1 Cor. 15:57). He always causes you to triumph (2 Cor. 2:14).
Your troubles are very real, thereâs no denying the fact. But remember, they are light, momentary, brief and fleeting. Donât lose heart. Never give up! You will make it through because the Greater One lives in you, and He is greater than any problem, sickness, or deficiency you may have (1 John 4:4).Â
Learn to see through eyes of faith. Fix your gaze on the eternal. Focus your attention on the promises of Godâs Word and forever settle in your heart that He is the final authority.
If you are discouraged, despondent or hopeless, then you must change your perspective, change your focus. How do you do that? By building yourself up in the Word of God. Find scriptures in the Bible that promise victory in whatever situation you are facing.
Godâs Word is very practical and applicable to our daily lives. I guarantee you that there is a scriptural promise for whatever need you have. Find it and write it down. Memorize it, meditate on it and cling to it. (If you canât find a scripture that pertains to your need, contact me and I will help you.) The more Word you get in your heart, the more your faith will grow.
I love this passage in The Message Bible:Â
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.
These hard times are âsmall potatoesâ compared to the coming good times…Thereâs far more here than meets the eye. And not a day goes by without God’s unfolding grace to help us!
Howâs that for perspective?
Donât let what youâre going through weigh you down or rob you of your joy. Donât allow momentary, light afflictions to cause you to give up on Godâs faithfulness. What youâre going through right now wonât last forever. Itâs temporary. So, focus on the eternal. Focus on the Lord and what He has promised in His Word. Fix your gaze on Him and never give up!
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by Alisha | Feb 4, 2013 | Uncategorized
There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
Hebrews 4:9 (NKJ)
Are you truly in faith for what youâre needing or desiring from the Lord?
One way to answer this question is to determine if you are resting in Him or if youâre worrying and fretting.
Hebrews 4:3 (KJV) says, For we which have believed do enter into rest.
If you are truly in faith, believing the Word of God, then you have entered into rest.
Rest is a place, and you have to enter into it. In that place of rest there is peace, quietness, confidence and trust. You are not struggling, you are not working, you are not trying to obtain â you are resting in the promises of God.
Hebrews 4:10 (AMP) says, For he who has once entered [God’s] rest also has ceased from [the weariness and pain] of human laborsâŠ
Have you ceased from all your labors? Are you totally surrendered to Him? Are you completely secure in the fact that God is going to come through for you? Or are you anxious and constantly struggling with thoughts that He might not come through this time?
If youâre in faith, youâre not working, worrying or wondering. You are resting. You are trusting. You are confidently expecting God to do just what He said.
Faith is like being in deep waters. If youâre struggling, panicking and thrashing about, you will begin to sink. But if youâll lie back and relax, trusting the waters to bear you up, you can rest and float.
As Christians, we must enter that place of rest. We must relax and confidently trust in the Lord to fulfill His Word in our lives. We donât have to struggle. We donât have to panic. We donât have fret. But we do have to believe.
Hebrews 4:11 (AMP) tells us, Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves]âŠÂ
Yes, you will have to work and strive diligently to enter into that place of rest. But once youâre there, you wonât struggle or strive again. You will relax in His arms, you will receive His strength and you will watch as He works in your behalf.
Isaiah 30:15 (AMP) says, For thus said the Lord God, the Holy one of Israel: In returning to Me and resting in Me you shall be saved; in quietness and in trusting confidence shall be your strength.
And in Matthew 10:28 (MSG) Jesus said, Come to Me. Get away with Me and youâll recover your life. Iâll show you how to take a real rest.
Ask the Lord to show you how to enter into His rest. Remember, He will never tell you to do something that you canât do. He is always there to help you. He wants you to succeed. He wants you to be blessed. He wants you to receive whatever it is that you need of Him.
So enter into the rest of God. Wait patiently and confidently in Him. God is not a man that He should lie — what He has said, He will do (Num. 23:19).
(photo credit)
by Alisha | Sep 3, 2012 | Uncategorized
Has your heart ever been overwhelmed? Have you ever felt besieged by the storms of life? Inundated with problems of all sorts? Have you ever felt that you just couldnât take it anymore?
In times like this, what do you do? Do you succumb and surrender to these storms? Do you allow yourself to accept failure or defeat? Do you feel sorry for yourself and throw a pity party? No way!
You keep standing â in the midst of the storm â you keep declaring that Godâs Word is true. You keep pressing into Him and His Word, and you keep holding fast to your faith.Â
Psalm 61:2 KJV saysâŠwhen my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.Â
The Contemporary English Version of Psalm 61:2-4 says, I feel hopeless, and I cry out to you from a faraway land. Lead me to the mighty rock high above me. You are a strong tower, where I am safe from my enemies. Let me live with you forever and find protection under your wings, my God.Â
When you feel overwhelmed, when you begin to feel hopeless, when you lose heart, cry out to the Lord. He is your Rock, your Strong Tower, your Safe Refuge from the storms of life. Remind yourself that the God you serve is a mighty God. He will protect you. He will keep you safe. And He will deliver you. Always.
Everyone goes through difficult tests and trials. Weâve all felt overwhelmed and hopeless at one time or another. But it is not okay to continue feeling that way â not when Almighty God is your Father!
You must put yourself in remembrance of Godâs great love for you. You must remind yourself of His faithfulness and of all the times He has come through for you. You must refuse to waver in your faith and trust in Him.
Psalm 34:19 says, Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
We are guaranteed afflictions, but we have a promise that the Lord will deliver us out of them all.
We must be so grounded in the Word of God that when we face these tests, trials, afflictions, storms, and outright assaults from the enemy, we will not waver, be swayed or shaken.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:24-25 (NLT), Anyone who listens to My teaching and obeys Me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse, because it is built on rock.
The storms of life will come, but you donât have to be swept away by them. Instead, you can just stand firm with your feet planted on the solid rock of Godâs Word. Though the storms may come and the winds may blow, you will remain steadfast and immovable because of the Word of God that is in your heart.
You will look the storms in the eye and laugh because they are powerless to harm you. You are sheltered safe within God, your Refuge. Nothing can by any means harm you. No weapon formed against you shall prosper.
Storms come and storms go, but those who remain fixed and stable on the Solid Rock will weather the storms and grow stronger still.
Just like David, we must learn to âencourage ourselves in the Lordâ (1 Sam. 30:6), and we do that by reminding ourselves of the Lordâs great faithfulness to us in times past, and by meditating on scriptures that speak of His goodness and faithfulness to us.
I have a included a few scriptures for you to remember when your heart is overwhelmed. These are just a starting point. If you would like a FREE printable of even more scriptures to help you stand in the midst of a storm, sign up below and we’ll send it to you.
- Psalm 91:2 (KJV) I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.
- Isaiah 54:17 (NKJ) No weapon formed against you shall prosper…
- Luke 10:19-20 (NKJ) Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
- 1 John 4:4 (KJV) Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.
- 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 (NIV) But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you.
Thank you!
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