We are excited to feature ways to help you grow in your spiritual walk. I will continue with devotions as the Lord gives them to me. New to the blog, will be tidbits from Rick also, as the Lord gives him wisdom and knowledge to share with you! As always please contact us with anything you would like to ask or share at jewelsbyHISdesign@gmail.com
It is with a bittersweet heart that we are saying, see you soon to Deb. She won her 12 year battle with cancer and was healed and with the Lord on November 24, 2023. She had a great faith that saw her through and she will be missed on many levels and ways.
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July 4, 2025
🏃"Running For Your Life"🏃
Have you ever been or are you now distraught or pressed down by things or circumstances in life? Depressed by the news, or worried about the bills, a child, an illness, a job loss, the loss of a loved one? This life brings many things that make us want to pull the covers over our head, or run for our lives until it (whatever that is) is done. Maybe we cross our fingers and hope for the best, or we just simply except it as the normal way things are.
In I Kings 19, Elijah, a prophet, a man of God was running for his life. Why? Because he had confronted a king and queen who were encouraging idolatry. After an exhaustive days journey in the wilderness, he sets down under a juniper tree and requested of the LORD to die. He fell asleep and an angel awoke him to eat and drink. He did so, and then fell back to sleep again. A second time later, the angel woke him up again and told him to eat and drink for his journey was to be long. He did so, and then went 40 days and 40 nights to Horeb the mount of God.
You see, we all have felt at times like we are done and can't take anymore. When I was reading this passage I was feeling the very same way myself. However, God graciously reminded me that we can rest, but not quit . Someone put it like this, "The moment we are in, does not stop the mission we are on." In this account in the Bible Elijah rested, But I observed that he continued on with the journey. The angel told him the journey will be long. His request to die was not mentioned again. Simply put, it was not an option! We can step back and let God step in. We can choose peace over pride to lead us to spiritual maturity. We can ask God to strengthen us on the inside by his Spirit. We can trust him in all things.
When our focus is on the "Its" of this life we have a tendency to run for our lives and this running distracts us from the one and only God that can help us.
During Jesus's life here on earth he took time away from the multitudes to be alone with the Father. To rest and refresh his spirit. One of these times was in Matthew 14:23
"And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone."
So, we too, should take a rest and then get back in there with joy in our hearts and continue on.
Proverbs 4:27 says:
"Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: Remove thy foot from evil."
We have to be careful to focus on what is good and righteous. This will keep us from being distracted and going down a path of destruction.
Matthew 11:28-30 shows us how Jesus wants us to run during the tough times: " Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
So to sum it all up, when you are running for your life, run into the arms of Jesus to rest, refresh, and renew your soul. Stay strong on the journey he has for you. May God bless you all!
Happy 4th of July!
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June 16, 2025
🕇 "It Was Of The LORD" 🕇
In order to understand some (definetly not all) of the ways God works we need to take a look at the word. It is there that we see the things that he did and why. It then, allows us to consider how it applies to our lives and our own walk with Christ.
In Judges 14:4 Samson saw a woman that he wanted. He then asked his parents to go and get this woman to be his wife. His parents, however, were not pleased with his decision. The reason for their displeasure was because she was a Philistine and this went against the law of Moses, which prohibits marriage to those who worshipped other gods.
But our God is not limited by time, space, prosperity, poverty, circumstances, or our choices. In fact, as we see here, he wasn't surprised or taken back by Samson's decision. It says that Samson's parents didn't know that it was of the LORD. This is a key point in this passage because it explains further why God wasn't surprised. It was because it was going to be used to confront the Philistines and deliver them from further rule over Israel.
There are many other occasions in the Bible where things that happened were of the LORD. Here are a few:
Joshua 11:20 - Hearts were hardened.
1Kings 1:15 - A king would not listen.
2 Chronicles 22:7 - There was destruction.
2 Chronicles 25:20 - There was a city that was turned over to their enemies due to disobedience.
Judges 13:1 - People did evil and were ruled by their enemies for 40 years and Samson is used to deliver them. Yes the same Samson we are talking about.
Now before I go on, this is not to say that our God is not loving and merciful. He is both loving and merciful. However, we, regardless of what we think, are not here for our own purpose. In fact this life and beyond, is and will be for God's honor and glory. He does not need our stamp of approval or help to accomplish his purposes. He will do it in spite of our bad choices, as he did in the case of Samson and many others. Will we always understand it? The true answer is no. I can tell you from the things I have experienced in my life that there were times when I suffered so that someone else could benefit, I suffered from bad decisions I had made, and yet at other times it was because God had another plan or purpose for his own reasons unknown to me. Throughout these events in my life I have had to learn to hang on to Proverbs 3:5,6 (Perhaps you have your own verse) To trust in God with my whole heart, not when I feel like it or when it is convenient. I also had to learn to definitely lean on his understanding. Because his ways are not ours and I did not always understand them. So it is only wise then, to lean on his understanding and let his will be done. I will say to you that I do not always do this well. So then, it is a good reminder to all of us that, his purpose will be accomplished, there are consequences to our behaviors, and finally that he does love us, and wants us, as his children to live our lives to honor him, The King!
If you don't know him as your King and Saviour, then I say to you, that as long as you have breathe you can. Then, when these situations come in your life, and they will come, you will not be without hope, joy, or peace.
In closing let me ask you, is there something that you don't understand that may be of the LORD?
Take it to him, trust him and lean on his understanding. Let his perfect will be done in the circumstance. He will never steer you wrong. Have a great week!
GOD BLESS
I am an email away if you need to talk.
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April 7, 2025
"Knowing The Difference"
In the world today it is very hard to not be skeptical about everything such as, ordering on line, specials or advertised deals, friends, family, co-workers etc. Why? Well because it's hard to know the difference between good and evil. Are the deals and specials for real or are they a hoax? In my relationships am I really excepted or not. Is it safe to order online or am I going to get hacked? Is this or that the truth or a lie? You get the picture. While the world today sees right as wrong and wrong as right, we have a God in heaven that made life, death, good and evil. Let me share a verse or two in regards to this fact.
Isaiah 45:7
"I form the light, and create darkness. I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things."
Deuteronomy 30:15
"See I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil."
Since he has created these things he is definitely able to discern between right and wrong, good and evil and he will get it right every time without failure. Therefore, since we are is children(those who have called on his name for salvation) he also knows what we need, how much, when, and where. It makes it perfect sense for us to want to rely on him and his understanding of things, for the issues in our lives. The word "Discernment" is to see the obscure - that which is evil and cannot be seen. You see, the spiritual world cannot be seen by us, with our physical eyes but with true spiritual eyes we can see the hope we have in Christ. It is so much more than just saying we believe, we must live it. The enemy(Satan)can sometimes be hidden behind things that we think are right or good for our lives. He will deceive us into thinking and justifying why it is good. The Bible however, says in Jeremiah 17:9
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?'
We cannot rely on our heart and our feelings alone when it comes to decisions, hurts, and pains in this life. God however, is well aware of Satan and his schemes and has given us the Holy Spirit and his word to help us discern between good and evil, so that we do not make choices that could destroy our lives. When it comes to the Bible and how it helps, I believe that Hebrews 4:12 sums it up well;
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart"
If we run our choices through what the Bible says is right or wrong, then we have a definite guideline that we can trust wholeheartedly to help us make right choices.
In Joshua 1:8-9 they were given a command from God as follows;
" This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein.; For then thou shalt make thy ways prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have I not commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."
So to break it down;
1. Meditate on the word(Bible)day and night. Take it one bite at time and think about it, ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you about it. Talk to LORD about it in prayer and then be still and wait on him to respond to you, in his time. Delight in it don't make it a chore.
Psalm 1:1-2
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of the sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."
2. Be careful to do everything written in it. If we are careful and focusing on what he wants us to do, we cannot go wrong.
3. Be strong and courageous. Stand on truth even when it is hard or not popular. Don't be afraid God is with us.
Psalm 27:1
"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
Jeremiah 1:8
"Be not afraid of their faces: For I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD."
In verse 9 of Joshua chapter 1 the word dismayed means experiencing or showing feelings of alarmed concern or upset, worried, or agitated because of some sudden occurrences or sudden disappointment. I just wanted to include this definition because things in our lives do sometimes come up suddenly that we were not prepared for, that set us the wrong way and then we are off and running into anger, agitation, upset etc. God says be not dismayed.
4. Finally, do not forget the Holy Spirit. He is sent to those of us that are saved through faith in Christ to help us discern right and wrong, good and evil, which in turn will help guide us in life choices.
Here are more verses on what the Bible says about discernment:
1 Corinthians 2;14-15
" But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man."
1John 4:1
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."
Hebrews 5:14"
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."
Philippians 1:9-10
" And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement: That ye may approve things that are excellent, that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ."
Romans 12:2
"And be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
James 1:5
" If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him."
So there you are jewels without the discernment, we will be hard pressed to make the right choices in this life. So get in the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to help you, do what it says, and do not be afraid. Please contact me if you need help in anyway and have a very blessed week!
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March 31, 2025
From The Emergency Room To Grace
﹄FROM BRANDI'S CORNER ﹄
At the age of 38 years old I was an angry, bitter woman. I was stagnate in my walk with Christ, my career, and my life in general. I was having issues at work and in my personal life. I had no joy and spiritually I was dead. I spent years asking God for joy and no answer came.
Early in the morning on November 6, 2024, before work, I was feeling very dizzy and went to the emergency room. They did some tests and everything came back normal. They diagnosed me with vertigo. At that point I started having weakness my arm. But due to the heart procedure that I had a few months before, they chalked it up to post-op weakness. So I went home and fell asleep while waiting on my prescription to be filled. When I woke up at 6 pm I didn't realize I had slept that long. I called my Mom to pick up my prescription because I wasn't feeling well enough to drive. Due to a concern about my slurred speech my parents came to the house first. After assessing my symptoms my mom called 911 for a possible stroke. I was taken to a different hospital nearby. Upon arrival there, I had completely lost control of the right side of my body. I found out that vertigo was a mis-diagnosis, I did indeed have a stroke. After a week in the hospital I was sent to a rehab center to learn how to use my whole right side again, as well as to work on my speech. While I was there I was very angry and bitter with God. I didn't understand why he was allowing this to happen to me. But even in my anger and bitterness, God was still faithful. All of my therapists could not believe how fast I was healing and gaining my functions back. After a few weeks I was able to to walk with a walker and go home. Yet, I was still angry and bitter with God.😠
Moving forward, one of the first lessons I learned was not to rely on my walker because God said so. I had been waiting to hear from God before the stroke and he was silent. Now all of a sudden God was ready to speak and I didn't want any part of it. I detested the walker and now that God said to get rid of it, it became a comfort. I wasn't ready to be obedient to what God was asking, but deep down I knew I had to trust him. I had the walker for 3 days and was finally walking with out it. Again, all of the professionals were surprised that I was walking without the walker. Even so, I was still angry and 😠didn't understand what God was doing.
But God did get a hold of my heart and started: SPEAKING, HEALING, AND REVEALING! He began with emotional healing including old scars which lead to a raw shift in my life. What I mean by a raw shift is that I was now dealing with the ugliest parts of my life that I didn't want to deal with or share with anyone. Things that I covered up, shoved under the rug, and hadn't dealt with since my childhood forward. There were many tears, but through those tears came healing, joy and more lessons. God showed me Jonah from the Bible and there were lessons from his life for me. He was angry and bitter like I was. He was called to save a city, a city that had destroyed his own city. Jonah ran because he didn't want to do it. We know 🐋how the rest of his story goes. But the point that God gave me was that the same love and mercy that he he shows believers, he also wants to show non- believers. He also showed me that narrow mindedness never gets anyone anywhere. These lessons answered questions that I have had since I was younger. Those questions were; Why do people who don't believe get what they want and those of us who do believe don't always get what we want? This revealed to me how narrow minded I had been. Just like Jonah I needed to get out of the way and allow God to do the work instead of trying to do it my way! Once I began applying this lesson, my work issues were gone and now replaced with joy. Also many blessing were revealed as follows:
1.The stroke was a blessing because of the mental, physical and emotional healing I got, as well as the lessons learned.
2. My diabetic A1C numbers dropped from a 12 to a 7. I also now have control when it comes to eating, before I did not have self control at all.
3. I am able to feed and dress myself again.
4. Financially, God used others to help me keep my home.
5. God provided on the job training for a position that I had wanted two years before the stroke.
6. I received closure regarding a family situation.
7. I found out that if my stroke had been located just inches higher in my brain the results would have been worse. God protected me with that!
8. The dizziness, after many months has gone away and I can now drive and ride in car again.
9.) One of the biggest blessings was that I was able to be home and celebrate the holidays with my family. The year before my stroke there were no holiday celebrations due to a death in the family.
10.) I found the old me again before the anger, and bitterness and stagnation! The girl that was filled with joy and happiness, she is back!😄
In closing grace is God's unmerited favor, kindness, and blessing. Freely given by him, something we don't earn or deserve. God took me from the emergency room to grace that I didn't deserve and now I have gone from spiritually dead to spiritually 😃alive and full of joy! No longer just surviving. Praise God! I just wanted to share God's greatness. Have a blessed week.
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March 27, 2025
JESUS' PRECIOUS STONES OF GRACE
Giving your heart to God
The Heart. We need it to live. But the only way to truly live is to give it wholly to God. And the only way to give it to God is through obedience, self sacrifice, and truly studying the Word of God. When you, through the Spirit, clean out a spot, do not let the sin and darkness come back in. If you do the Bible says in Matthew 12:43-45: "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when it is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the state of the man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation." Do not return from where you came from but stay the path and fill the space with God. II Peter 2:20-22 says, "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." If you reject your only way to escape sin by going back to sin, it will be even harder to accept Christ and live right later. Proverbs 4:23 says "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Lets look at the definition of diligence. Webster's says: steady, earnest ,and energetic effort: devoted and painstaking work and application to accomplish an undertaking. A synonym of diligence is assiduity. Constant or close attention to what one is doing. Unremitting: never relaxing or slackening; incessant. Diligence suggests earnest application to some specific object or pursuit. Assiduous stresses careful and unremitting application. Always be seeking God and who He is and never relax in this pursuit. It is the most important pursuit in this life and the only one that has eternal life and rewards attached to it. In ancient times of sacrifice the blood was the symbol of the atonement for sin. Giving our heart to God is our sacrifice of our life to God. Sometimes we turn to God to get relief from what we are going through only to harden our hearts like Pharaoh did in the book of Exodus and stray from God. Always fight to stay close to God so that you don't fall into old habits and desires of the past. This is not always easy in a world with so many distractions, but if we are diligent and assiduous, the reward of peace and joy from God will be worth it. Stay strong my friends and seek God with all of your heart.
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February 28, 2025
"Where Is God?"
In the Wizard Of Oz when Dorothy wants to go home. She is told by Glinda that the power was in her all along, but that she had to learn it for herself. In that moment Dorothy said that she learned that if she ever went to look for her hearts desire again that she would never go further than her own backyard.
People have asked me time and again, where is God? I need him and I cannot find him. Where is he when I am going through this or that? The answer is that we really don't have to look too far to find him. He has been here all along, never hidden. But waiting with an outstretched arm to embrace us and to have a relationship with us. This relationship is one of hope, peace, growth and abundance. He is not looking for a genie in the bottle type of relationship, where we pull him off of the shelf until we get our hearts desire. No, he wants to be with us in everything in our lives from the time we receive him in salvation until, throughout eternity.
John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life."
See, he gave his Son Jesus for us so that we can have a life with him now and forever! That is not a God that is trying to play hide and seek at all.😊
The truth is that we separate ourselves from God. The Bible says:
Isaiah 59:2 "But your iniquities have separated between you and God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."
Isaiah 53:6 "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Acts17:30 " And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent."
You see, our sin and wanting to go our own way has separated us from God. He has taken our sins on himself and in turn wants us to receive him as our LORD and Saviour. To repent or turn away from our sins and then live our lives in him and be obedient to his word. Receiving him as our Saviour is as easy believing that he died for us, that God rose Jesus from the dead and that he is alive and seated at the right hand of the Father and will come to take us home one day for eternity! That it is it! He has made it so easy for us. Romans 10:9 says "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." So, if you do have Jesus as your Saviour but have gone astray. He is waiting for you to come back, repent, and continue on with him. If you don't know him as your Saviour and want to know him, say a prayer: Father I believe that you sent Jesus to die for me and that he has risen again. I ask you to come into my heart and to be the Lord and Saviour of my life. I repent(turn away from) of all of my sins with your help. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus name, Amen.
So jewels the bottom line to the question of where is God? The answer is: No further than your own heart!
If you said the prayer, or your coming back to God, please send me an email so I can help you take the next step in your walk with him in anyway I can.
God bless!
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February 10, 2025
"Do You Remember?"
Do you remember when? We have either asked or have been asked that question. We all have times of Remembrances. Birthdays, anniversaries, deaths. the purchase of a new home, family gatherings... you get the idea. The definition of Remembrance is to recall a person, event, or thing.
At times there are things that we want to remember or be remembered for, and there are also things we don't want to remember or to be remembered for.
Isaiah 43:25-26 gives us a look into what God won't remember about those of us that are his own. He says:" I, even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins. Put me in remembrance. Let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified."
This is a powerful statement of God's willingness to forgive us of our sins regardless of our past and it is a great invitation for us to plead together with him, of his promises to forgive us and justify us. Wow that is something I could use today when people want to remind me of my past!
Then there is another part of remembering that can be something that we certainly don't want in our lifetime to happen. That something is found in Psalm 34:16
The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
I believe this verse speaks volumes about how if we do not know Christ, now would be a great time to do that. The Bible says that if we don't know him, we are already condemned and so that would put us in this category of evil. No thanks! Jesus is the only way steer from being counted as evil. Good deeds alone will not do it.
In Numbers 15:37-40 The Lord spoke to Moses and told him to tell the children of Israel to make fringes on their garments, as a way to remember God's commandments and to be holy unto their God. So this got to me thinking about how we can have something with us daily to remind us to live a life that is holy before God. Remembering to live for him is a must. So I came up with a simple acronym to help us stayed focused on him and to stay steady in our walk with him. So here we go:
U - Unblameable (Faultless, Innocent)
I Thess. 3:13
To the end that he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
S - Santicfied (Set apart, holy)
II Timothy 2:21
If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
A - Acceptable (Received)
Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
There you have it, an acronym (USA) to take with you daily to remember how to live in the USA or the world under the mighty hand of God.
Have a great week Gems and remember God loves you! 😀
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January 20, 2025
💜" A Willing Heart"💖
A verse that has resounded loudly lately with me is Proverbs 3:5-6 and it reads as follows:
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.
Trust is something that comes easy until it bites us in one way or another and then we back off. Let's look at a couple of definitions for the word trust:
A state of being where someone is eager and enthusiastic to help or participate in something. Releasing our tight grip on what we think will give us security.
Another definition says:
Assured reliance on the character or the ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.
As you can see trust is very necessary for many decisions in our lives that need to be made.
I believe that trusting in God is taking him at His word, and going, and doing what it is he wants, in his way and his time and trusting the outcome that he has for us. Because self-reliance can, at times put us on shaky ground.
Here are a few verse to help with this point:
2 Corinthians 1:9
But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.
Psalm 118:8
It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
Psalm 146:3-4
Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breathe goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that everyday his thoughts perish.
So how do we trust God in all things of our lives?
1. Keep thy heart with all diligences for out of it are the issues of life. Prov.4:23
Keep our hearts and eyes on him and his word daily.
2. And ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all of your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
Talk to him and ask him where he wants us to go and what he wants us to do next.
Understanding is another portion of these verses that is another step that we must take in our walk with Christ.
A definition for this word is: The ability to act in accordance to God's will, based on wisdom or what is right.
Without God's understanding of our purpose for being here on earth, we are blindly directing the reigns of our lives and that is when things can go wrong. Leaning on his understanding, however, for our life, will never lead us wrong.
Here are some verses to help with this point:
1. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21
2. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shall go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
Psalm 32:8
3.Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105
4. There are many devices in a man's heart, nevertheless, the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.
Proverbs19:21
So how do we lean on God's understanding?
We need to humble ourselves and admit that we do not have all of the answers.
Acknowledge to him that we cannot do anything without him and have an attitude of not wanting to do anything without him.
Then exercise faith of full assurance that God can handle it(whatever it is).
You see my friends, recently, I was going through a difficult time. I was praying and asking God to help me, but a closer look at things, through the Holy Spirit revealed that I wasn't leaving it alone and with a willing heart letting him handle it. I was still trying to handle it myself and it was getting worse. He gave me Proverbs 3:5-6 in my Bible time and when I trusted him and leaned on his understanding, he took it from there and the situation corrected itself. A willing heart is more than just saying we will do something. It means if it takes more time than we thought, more effort on our part, if it means no reward and no one else helps. It means doing all of this and trusting the Lord where holes are and things aren't so great. When we don't understand why things are going sideways in our life. Yet giving him total surrender of it. Letting the outcome be totally what he wants.
How about it will you be willing with a willing heart to trust and lean on your best friend Jesus today?
Have a great week and stay warm!
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Dec.9, 2024
"I'll Never Be The Same"
The world watched in horror as 2,977 people were killed and more than 6,000 were injured during the 9/11 attacks on our country. These attacks led to conversations about american identity, patriotism, security, and service. Talks of love and peace and strength during the recovery. We as a country thought that we would never be the same again as a result of these tragedies.
We stood in shock and awe as the events were unfolding from the Boston bombings. Many said that they would never be the same again during the aftermath of this terrible evil.
So it is, when things in life happen to us, whether good or bad, the results can shape who we are and sometimes who we become.
For those of us that know Jesus as our LORD and Saviour we will never be the same again. Let's take a look at why:
1. This chaotic world is not our permanent home. We are strangers here. Hebrews 13:14
2. We will have a new body, one without pain and sickness and death Philippians 3:21
3. There will be no more tears or death or pain. Revelations 21:4
4. There is no pressure to be like everyone else. We can be who we are, a peculiar people. I Peter 2:9
5. We are sons and daughters of The King. II Corinthians 6:18
6. We live in light and not darkness. Psalm 18:28
7. We have peace that is beyond what we can comprehend, even in the trials of this life. Philippians 4:7
8. We are never alone. Isaiah 41:10
9. We have love that is so unconditional that he went to the cross and stretched it out.
John 3:16
Jewels, this is just a smidge of how Jesus can, does, and will, touch our lives, if we will be receive him and be obedient to his will. We have hope that no matter what comes in this life he is there waiting to show us the way. Even in death, we are absent from the body and present with him. I dare to say that to have peace and joy in this life in the middle of all that we go through is incredible! There nothing in this world that can offer you constant peace like Jesus. So take a chance on him and you too, will never be the same!
Have a joyful and peaceful week my friends!
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Dec.2, 2024
👼"God Is With........"👼
Lately, I have been reading in the Bible about how God was with the saints before us. This was especially encouraging to me. Our daughter had a stroke recently at 38 years old. It was definitely unexpected, and also a time of uncertainty. As she prayed, through her tears for healing one day, we witnessed God's faithfulness in beginning that healing process the very next day!
When Joseph was sold away for a slave by his brothers, God was with him and made him overseer of his master's house. Genesis 39:2-4.
Jesus was with the disciples when he sent them to share the Gospel. Matthew 28:18-20.
David behaved himself in all his ways; and the Lord was with him. Samuel 18:14
God was with Hagar when she ran away because she couldn't take her situation anymore. Genesis16:1-13
God was also with Enoch Genesis 5:24
These are just to name a few. There are many more people named in the Bible that God was with. There were also people in that day that God was with that were not named in the Bible. In todays world some have God with them and others do not. It is our choice to have him or not. Please know that he is not a genie in the bottle or the man upstairs. No, he is God and God alone. The Bible says that one day we will all acknowledge that he is THE GOD whether we believe it or not.
I am very grateful that in these difficult times, and in a world where there is so much chaos and uncertainty, that I have the choice to have peace. God was and has been so faithful since our daughter's stroke. There has been peace that passes all understanding. I didn't get that peace by anything that I did. It was by his grace, mercy and his presence that I received it. Also, because I am his daughter. You see, some have been told the lie that we are all God's children. If you are not saved, the truth is you are not his and heaven is not your future home, no matter how good you are here.
So how about you Jewel? Will you be another one that can put there name at the end of this statement:
God is with ____(Your name)_________.
I do hope that you are and if you are not and would like to be, drop me a line and I would gladly show you how. The email is above. Have a great week! God bless!
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Nov. 4, 2024
🎇"Wonderful World of Wonders"🎇
The world wide web is a good source of information but it can also be a source or a web of bondage. During Covid everyone went into a panic. Everything that was heard on the news and web was not good about Covid. The worst was that you could die from it if you had certain health conditions that interacted with covid. I also know people who were considered high risk and locked themselves in their homes to prevent getting it. Somehow they got it anyway and are doing very well today. The truth that the news and web doesn't tell us is that "It is appointed unto men once to die....."Hebrews 9:27. We all have a time to die and God(the giver & taker of life) decides that no matter what we do to prevent it.
The meaning of the word bondage is the state of being a slave. This can bring about misery in our lives because none of us want to be a slave to anything or anyone. However, we can easily slip into bondage. for example we can hear a lie or misinformation and we buy into it it and then we spread it. Now we are in the bondage of it, as well as the people that we spread it to. This is why we need to be so careful of the things we take in and check the sources that they come from. This way, we may live a life that is peaceful and free from bondage. What is your life bondage? Are you in the bondage of numbing pain in your life with drugs, alcohol, or over eating? Are you in the bondage of fear? Are you in the bondage of not feeling good enough? These are just a few of the things that we get trapped in. The children of Israel were in great bondage when they were in Egypt (Exodus1:14) and in Exodus 6:6,9 God said to them" I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm. and with great judgements." My friends he says the same thing to us. You see, the WWW is at times, a web that will entangle us into what and how the world thinks we should live and deal with the issues in our lives. No one in the news world, social media or otherwise, knows you like your creator, God. He is a trusted resource that will never lead you wrong or turn his back on you no matter what your bondage is or how long you have been in it. He can and will pull you out if you will let him have the reigns of your life.
During Covid my husband and I chose to remain calm and in faith and live our lives in peace while others around us was in havoc over it. We followed the guidelines that were required, but lived as normal. We were ridiculed and had people in our lives that said that we didn't respect their point of view. We were fine with their point of view. However, we had a point of view too and that was our LORD's point of view, " Fear not for I will not leave you nor forsake you." The world did not like that. The point is that if we take our focus off of the LORD and listen to what the world says then we may find ourselves in bondage of fear and be crippled in it. There are still people wearing masks today and Covid is now being treated as if it were a flu. But during the panic, businesses have closed and are closing. They are unable to find people to work etc. It has had a profound effect on our country. The Bible is a great resource with many answers to life and how to have peace in the trials and tribulations if we are willing to accept it. For instance "And be ye not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind...." Depending on what we focus on, is where we will find peace or not. When you have peace your countenance( a person facial expression) will change from glum to joy. It is an indication of your mental composure, mood, emotion and character.
I have come to realize that just because the world says that I should be following it's guidelines for living. I say no. I am a daughter of the KING and I have been given everything I need to live in joy and peace without apologizing for it. It is part of my inheritance that his has given me for this life here and now. I do not have to serve bondage and fear. Satan would love for us to bow to it. Here is another resource: "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." This is another truth the world will not tell you and you can believe that Satan is behind our bondages of fear, every adulterous affair, every lie, every addiction and broken family, and nation.
God wants to heal us. Here is another source. "Bless the Lord, Oh my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases."
If we have received salvation in him he protects us from going to Hell when we die. " We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent for the body, and to present with the Lord."
All we need is faith because without it we cannot receive his best. Here is another resource: " And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief."
So forfeit or give away your fears and bondages by honestly sharing them with your God. Why? Here is yet another resource: "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."
Let us not be like Lots wife in Genesis 19:26 who looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. Let us not look like people wearing a mask and being gripped by depression and fear.
May we fill our lives with scriptures and praise and have faces that shine bright in this dark world. Let us get on God's web;
Wonderful
😄World of 😄
Wonders
What are some of those? Healings, slaying of giants, moving of mountains, Jericho walls crumbling down, Elijah being carried away to heaven in a whirlwind, the dead coming back to life and so many more. It is the best website that we can ever go to for help in this life.
May you all have a great week!
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Oct. 7, 2024
🤝"Hand In Hand"🤝
Let us start this blog with some definitions. The first one is Faith - The Hebrew word for it is Emunah. It is means more than just believing a statement about God. It is a complete reliance on God. It means to trust and to act.
Th next definition is for the word Patience - The Hebrew word for it is Savlanut. It is to bear or suffer. To endure something unpleasant or painful without increasing the suffering.
If we consider these definitions for a moment. It is no wonder our cringe meter goes so high when someone, during a rough season in our life, says to have faith or have patience. Because to do either one means that we would have relinquish complete control to God. We would not be able to lean on our own understanding and we could not have an answer in our own time. Let me present an example. I recently broke my ankle and this lesson of faith and patience has been a tough one for me. I am used to doing things on my own. Cleaning the house, bathing, driving, dressing.... to name a few. Since this incident, I have had to rely on other people for assistance in my daily life. In the beginning I tried to carry on as I was before my injury, only to take a fall and endure more pain. I had to be patient and allow the people that God has put in my life to help me. To have faith that God will heal me, and though it will take time,(and I am not happy about 12 weeks) this too will pass. I also, had the pain that reminded me that when I step out of faith or patience, it will hurt. So it is for all of us. We must slow down and have faith and patience.
Here are some verses for both, to help with the question of why.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of thing hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Luke 1:37
For with God nothing shall be impossible.
1Corinthians 2:5
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but the power of God.
Psalm 37:7
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Hebrews 10:36
For ye have need of patience, that after you have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Romans 8: 25
But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Galatians 6:9
Let us not grow weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
✋So in conclusion, the idiom, Hand In Hand,✋ applies with faith and patience. Without faith(full reliance on God)we will not be patience to wait on him in our hard seasons of life. But without patience to wait on God we cannot exercise our faith muscle of full assurance in him. So the two do go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other.
James 1: 3 -4
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
So Jewels practice having both for they are the birthmarks of our heart for Christ.
Have a blessed week!
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Sept. 3, 2024
"Leave It All Behind"
Have you ever wanted to leave your past failures and mistakes behind and just move forward as if they never happened? Have you ever had people in your life that won't let you move forward from your past? If you are that person today I want to send a bit of hope and wisdom your way. I , myself, have made some bad choices in my past and while I still have people who want to keep it alive, I have laid it at the feet of Jesus and I no longer pick it up.
You see in Luke 9:62, it reads as follows:
"And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
If a farmer is on a plough and he is looking forward 🚜he can make his rows for planting, straight, but if he is looking back his rows will not be straight, but rather a crooked mess! In this passage Jesus is inviting us to follow him with a strong and solid commitment! He wants both our heart and a💖 commitment that will lead us to the action of service to him! It is the heart decision that is most important to him. Many folks do good things today, but they miss out on spiritual blessings and opportunities for great ministries because they have failed to follow him with a fully committed heart.
Paul says in Philippians 3:13B
"But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before"
And verse 14 says "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
We can make the choice to leave it all behind and go forward in Christ because he is our strength when we are weak. (II Corinthians 12:8-10)
We can let failures and things of this life get in the way of following Jesus wholeheartedly. Whether we use them as excuses or let them make us lame in our walk. We are the ones that allow ourselves to suffer as a result of these behaviors.
I had to make a choice to let my past failures destroy my walk with Christ or to allow God to be my strength and make great rows in the new field of life that he has given me now. My dear jewels you too have the same choice. Jesus will take what 🪴was crooked in your past and make it straight.(Isaiah 45:2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight... )🚜
Please consider allowing God to take your past and use it as a stepping stone to step up and enjoy your salvation and the purpose he has for your life. If you don't him as Lord and Savior, please send me a message to the email above and I will help you to become a child of the Most High King. And together may we all have a great life and leave it all behind. God bless you jewels!
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Aug. 26, 2024
🌅"No Ripples"🌅
I am sure that you may have heard of a ripple effect. If not, it is a spreading, pervasive and usually unintentional effect or influence. For a simple visual let's use the domino effect. You can line up dominoes in a line or curve and when you tip over one, they all fall in order as they are set in the line or curve. It is kind of the same way with a ripple effect. In a body of water you throw a pebble and you will see the ripples in the water from where the pebble was thrown in, and moving outward in many circles until the rippling stops. You get the picture.
Our actions, thoughts and attitudes can also cause a ripple effect to our lives and the people around us. Which brings me to our verse for today. Philippians 4:5
"Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand."
This verse encourages us to act in a reasonable and Christ-filled way. The word moderation comes from Kosmios in the greek and means to take care of from harm; to be gentle, mild and patient. Modesty means not to be too proud or confident in yourself. To be proper in dress, speech, or conduct. To avoid extremes of behavior or expression.
As women we should be seeking our attention from God. I Peter 3:3-4 says that it should not be the outward beauty that we seek after but the inner beauty, a meek and quiet spirit. Does this mean that we can't look nice? No. However, we need to be careful of the intentions of our hearts when we are dressing. Proverbs 7:10 talks about Jesus meeting a prostitute and the intentions of her heart with regards to her dress. One of my pet peeves is when I see a woman who insists on putting her body on display and then being offended when a man looks at her or uses her for sex and moves on. As women we know very well what can entice men and we need to STOP! We do not have to be on display to get a man, and why would we want one that is so shallow? Because when the body and sex gets old, he will be looking at the next display. This looking at the next display is also part of the ripple effect. Men who are married and enticed could take things further and then families are broken, marriages are destroyed, and children grow up with emotional issues and a very distorted view of life. These emotional issues and distorted views can sometimes lead to addictions and crimes to cover up the pain, later in their teen and adult lives. I have seen this first hand, many times, and it is so much a part of the demise of this country. This also, is sometimes referred to as
"Cause and Effect" which is an action or event and its consequences or results. James 1:15 sums this up well.
"Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death."
We should shoot for substance in our relationships, something will last. Sex is not it. A relationship with Christ is a great place to start. It keeps the bar high and then anyone or someone else's husband won't do. Only God's best will do!
Here are a few ways we can stop the "ripples"
1. Pray for a husband of your own. 🙏
Mark 11:24 "Therefore I say unto you, what thing soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
2. Walk In the Spirit. 🥾
Galatians 5:16 "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."
3. Receive and Trust God's Word. 🕇
Genesis 2:18 "And the Lord God said, It is not good that man should be alone. I will make him a help meet for him."
4. Find Peace and Fulfillment in your Relationship with the LORD.
Psalm 37:4 "Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
In conclusion, let us do our part to keep the ripples out of our lives and the lives of others. May God bless and keep you well. Also, please free to email any questions or comments you may have.
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"Lively Hope"
🩷🩷Aug. 12, 2024🩷🩷
During the fall season I am reminded of Jesus.🟤 Allow me to explain. As the leaves begin to die you can begin to see the color change in them from green, to beautiful oranges, reds, purples, browns and yellows. Now Jesus' death certainly was not a beautiful site to see. However, just like the dead leaves in the fall, his death brought forth beautiful colors for us in our lives, both now and in the future. Let's take a look for a moment. The inheritance that we have as believers in Christ, that are saved through that precious blood have colors such as:
🔴 The sparkling crystal sea with water of life. (Rev. 22:1)
Gates of pearl (Rev. 21:21) 🟡
The beautiful glory of our God who's light is like jasper and crystal (Rev. 21:11) (I peter 2:9)
The foundations of the walls of the city garnished with all manner of precious stones jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, and amethyst.
💎(Rev. 21:19-20)💎
We are clothed in the color purple because we if we are born again, we are of the royal household of God. (Ephesians 2:19)🟠
The color green. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. (Psalm 23:1-2) Not a dry and desert land.
Red for we are bought with the precious blood of 🟢Christ. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
When we look at I Peter 3-9 If we are born again, we have a lively hope! Let me sum it up. We have been given mercy by the Father who sent his son Jesus to die a for our sins, to be risen again so that we will have an inheritance that is reserved in heaven. It will never fade away or be defiled in anyway. Through faith we are kept( shielded or protected) by God's power until we die or Jesus 🟣takes us home. We will face trials and temptations(Not alone but with him) that will bring great colors of honour, praise and glory to the King because we stayed in faith and the power of God sustained us. Even though we haven't seen him yet, we love and believe and obey him with joy unspeakable and full of glory. We will receive the precious gift of salvation, in eternity, with our saviour, in heaven. Therefore, my precious jewels, we should live LIVELY - (Energetic, Briskly alert, full of live, vigorous, brillantly)🔵
We have alot of color(HOPE) in our lives both now and later. Therefore, we are not the walking dead, for we are of a kingdom that is full of light, love , joy, assurance, peace and power!!!
Live LIVELY through the hope that we have in HIM! Have a blessed week!
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July 29, 2024
"Identify"
Have you ever felt like you don't even know who you are some days? As women, we wear many hats🎩 to take care of our families, friends, church family, and others. It can be so easy at times to steer away from our identity in Christ and put on another one. Perhaps to please others, to fit in, or just because it feels good to our flesh for a season. Whatever the reason is, we should never let anyone define our self worth. In my previous marriage I allowed my identity and self worth in Christ to be stolen and replaced by things that were not kingdom worthy and not at all how Christ sees me. It lead to anger, bitterness, depression and many other things that made me a very miserable person.
God is the only one that we should look to for our identity . This means that we need to deepen our relationship with him so that we can have assurance of who we are in him and not take on the world's labels. For example if you buy fruit 🍎 that looks great on the outside, but on the inside, it is rotten, it is no good to you or anyone else. Thus, neither are we, if deep down inside we see ourselves as the world does . So digesting God's word is a great way to start changing the old identities(I am fat, I am not good enough, I am old, I can't do anything right etc.) God is not the author of such rottenness. When he finished his creation he said that it was good. Satan is the author of the garbage dump. We have a choice of the one that we want to hear in our hearts and minds ladies, let's choose wisely. Please read Colossians 3:2-17. I love how it so clearly gives us pure ways to identify ourselves in Christ. Verse two right off the bat says to "Set your affection on things above, not on things on earth." That is perfect for not taking on an identity that does not belong to us as daughters of THE KING! Matthew 6;19-20 are two more verses that bring it home. Jesus is our treasure. May we love, honor and cherish him above all things and people in our lives. What a difference he will make if our true identity is in him!
Have a very blessed week jewels!
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July 8, 2024
🪨"Stepping Stones of Life"🪨
Today we have monuments, museums, headstones, services, and other things to mark an occasion or event that is or was significant to us. Remember 911? I believe that we all remember that event, and there are plenty of memorials around to signify that it took place, and many witnesses to the pain it 🪦brought.
Throughout the Bible there are many memorials that are made to mark certain events and things to be remembered as well. In Joshua chapter 4 after the people came over the Jordan, Joshua was ordered by the LORD to take twelve men out of the twelve tribes. They were to take twelve stones out of the Jordan where the priests stood with the ark of the covenant. In verses 6-9 here is what Joshua said to the people. "That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, what mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; When it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be a for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever." And the children of Israel did as Joshua 👣 commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.
The children of Israel were not to eat any leavened bread in memory of the LORD bringing them out of bondage in Egypt with a mighty hand. (Exodus 13:3)
How about the lady in Matthew 26:7who poured very expensive ointment on Jesus' head and when the disciples rebuked her for it. Jesus said, (Verse 13)"Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel is preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her."
These are just a few of the memorials in the Bible. There were pillars, altars, feasts and more to commemorate things that God had done in people's lives. How about our lives today? Have you been through something hard lately? Perhaps you are in the midst of something right now in your life. Maybe life is good for you at the moment, but it could be that you may know someone who is at a rough spot in their life right now. Either way, one thing is for sure, since sin entered this world, there will be trials and hardships in this life. I believe that these hardships can be memorials, if you will, for us to share with others, what God has done for us in these times. I believe that we can let the trial crush us or we can use it as a stepping stone by leaning closer to God and allowing him to carry us through it. It will both strengthen our faith and our relationship with Jesus, and it will give us an opportunity to minister to others in their trial or difficulty.
In my life I have been blessed to use my trials as a stepping stone to move up and out of Satan's destruction. While I didn't always do this perfectly, I was so much better off than being a victim to Satan and his destructive ways. I was in his destructive path before I got right with Jesus and it is not a great choice!
Whatever you are going through today my friends please know that Jesus is waiting to lift you up, out of the miry clay, and onto solid ground. He is your solid stepping stone and he loves you so much!
He is very capable of putting the enemy as the Bible says; As a footstool under his feet.
Have a blessed week Jewels and step on up!
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June 19, 2024
JESUS' PRECIOUS STONES OF GRACE
Our walk with the King
Sometimes in life we get injuries. I have suffered many injuries to my legs and feet. Sometimes these are the result of an accident. Broken ankles, fractured toes, and torn cartilage in the knees. Sometimes they are self inflicted. Cramps because we are not staying hydrated enough. Surgeries such as fixing the torn cartilage, bunion surgeries, and not paying attention to where we are walking, and not walking in safe places. Either way pain and discomfort hurt. Sometimes it can last for years and even the rest of your life and can affect how you walk. When we don't put the time into our walk with Christ we can suffer too. Like physical therapy, we need to put time into our relationship with Christ so we can build it stronger so that we don't continue to suffer in this life. This is not to say everything will be perfect. God will use trials in our life to stretch us and mold us into what He wants us to be. Like therapy, that is not always easy to do because of the pain and the tearing of muscles to build them stronger. God will stretch us to build a better foundation so we can endure the trials that we are given that make us stronger. But just like we have to show up to therapy, we need to put the time into doing therapy with our King by fellowshipping with other believers at church, worshipping God daily, and spending time daily in the word to get to know Him better. Without this dedication our walk suffers. We just limp along in life and never run the race like we were meant to with Christ by our side.
Colossians 2:6-7
As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
John 8:12
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
1 Peter 2:21
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps.
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June 19, 2024
"To Believe Or Not To Believe"
II Thessalonians 2:2-4, 8-17
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition(Antichrist); Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. And then shall the Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, Whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father which have loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
In closing for today, it is your choice.
Have a great day jewels!
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June 10, 2024
⏳"Procrastinated and Anchored"⚓
Is your life twisted right now and your wondering what to do?
Sometime life will change and we must change with it. God will move us and move with us. But we must allow him to have all control of the whole transition or trial that we are in. (Psalm 46:10 "God is a very present help in trouble.")
With the transition or trial we must change our hearts and minds. (Romans 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.") By doing so it helps us not to be anchored to the our old life and to take on the new life he has for us.
In Isaiah 38, Hezekiah was in mourning and sorrow to death and he took the word of the Lord from Isaiah, and he recovered and lived.
The word renew is defined as the following:
1. To make like new, restore to freshness, vigor or perfection.
2. Make new spiritually; regenerate.
3. To restore to existence, revive, to make extensive changes in, rebuild. To become new or as new. To begin again; resume.
The word procrastination is defined as follows:
to intentionally put off something that should be done.
Knowing all of this knowledge, it is obvious that the choices in front us, in the transitions or trials of this life, are in our hands.
We can either procastinate coming to Jesus for the help and comfort we need, and stay anchored in our old ways of dealing with these things.
OR
We can renew ourselves and lives in Jesus, and go through the transitions and trials with calm and peace knowing that he can and will handle it.
My friend I am sending you a word from the Lord to day, will you take it like Hezekiah did and be renewed and revived? Or will you stay procrastinated and anchored in the muck and mire of your old life?
😉
Have a great week Jewels!
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June 3. 2024
🌊 " And The Floods Came" 🌊
I remember going to New Orleans to help rebuild after Katrina. I saw the devastation that the flood caused. I saw the water lines on homes and buildings and I listened to the stories of those who hoped to be rescued, and the horrible things that they heard and seen while waiting. I have heard that there are different kinds of floods and some are more dangerous than others. Therefore, it is best to keep an eye on the water and seek shelter if needed. I believe that we have all had a flood or two in our lives and I am not just talking about floods after rain.
But rather floods in this life, death, health, relationships gone bad, a wayward child, addictions, and financial woes, to name a few.
My Grandma used to say when it rains, it pours. People used to say well, things come in threes and I just have one or two more things to endure and I will be done. At times, I have to admit that I could relate to these sayings in my own life, and perhaps you can too. One thing is for sure the storms will come. Allow me please to share with you what Jesus said about the storms;
☔☔Matthew 7:24-27☔☔
"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock.
And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built is house on the sand:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."
My friends it is very clear that the storms will come. In both of these cases the storms did come. The preparation before hand, however, is the difference between the two. You see, God is not a genie. He wants a relationship with us. So, in having that relationship with him continuously, we can go in and out of the floods of our lives( No matter how big or small) and they will be mere speed bumps. Why? because a life built on THE ROCK(Jesus) will always stand strong!
Today we all have a choice to make between sand and THE ROCK. What will you choose?
Drop me a line and let me know. Have a blessed day and week! Xoxoxoxo
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May 28, 2024
"Access By Faith"
Have you ever wanted to go behind the scenes and see how things are really done at theater, concert, or some other place of interest to you, but didn't have access to get in and see?
Many people think that way about Jesus. They think that there is no way I can get to him. I am sure that the lady that had the issue of blood saw the multitude of people and wondered if she could get to him. But she pressed on anyway for the hem of his garment and was healed.
I want to share a few verses today and lightly touch on how we have access to him and those benefits. Access doesn't cost us anything because he paid the price at calvary. Because he did that for us, if we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died on the cross and rose again. This step one. If we will then, admit that we are a sinner and ask for forgiveness he is faithful and just to forgive us of all our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We then ask him to come into our heart and to be our saviour. This is how simple it to get right to Jesus. Look at this verse about your access to him now that he is your saviour.
Ephesians 3:12
"In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him."
Wow! boldness, access, and confidence. What great way to have access to our King!
Hebrews 4:16 says
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need."
Sounds like freedom to come to him and some great benefits when you do!
As his sheep, he does help us to find pastures of peace and calm. Let's look at what the Bible says about our pastures.
John 10:9
"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."
Psalm 95:7
"For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand."
Psalm 100:3
"Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture."
Psalm 23:2,3
"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."
These are just a smidge of what we get access to, behind the scenes with Jesus. Oh, and did I mention that it is free access to him? He paid the price so that we can have access to him 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, and 365 days a year.
Have a blessed week and thank you so much for stopping in.
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😠"Envy Is The Enemy"😠
During my personal Bible time last week the Lord showed me something that I really needed to see. Have you ever been really nice to someone or perhaps many people and no matter what you do they just do not like you? Of course the main question in a situation such as this is WHY?
Well between my Bible time and some of the examples that God gave me last week, he helped me to see some good advice. First of all things aren't always as they appear. What we see in people is only part of the picture. We do not know what went on in the hours, minutes or seconds before we encountered them. For instance based on what I saw and heard, I assumed a certain situation was something that it was not and I could have saved myself alot of grieve by not looking at one portion of the situation but asking the other person about the rest. Turns out the person was having a very rough time in their personal life and it wasn't me at all. As the week went on, many scenarios such as this one played out, with and without my involvement. Therefore, by the time I got to the portion in my Bible time that I am going to share with you, God showed me some great stuff. So without further hesitation let us get to it.
In I Thessalonians 2:14 I was reading as Paul was talking to the church and about Timothy. He talked also, of the things which he suffered for Christ's sake. So I took look at Acts 17:5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy.... the verse goes on to say that they caused an uproar. This got to me thinking about the word envy and what the Bible has to say about it. When I think of all of the saints before us such as Paul, and how he just wanted to shine Jesus and was treated horribly. I can see why our light is an offense to folks who live in darkness. The meaning of envy is as follows:
Painful of resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another, joined with a desire to possess the same advantage.
This therefore is not being content with what you have and wanting what someone else has.
Knowing this meaning and what the saints before us endured, I realized that you can be an enemy to someone even if you have never done anything wrong to them. Because we are not of this world. The Bible calls us a peculiar people and for this we are to rejoice because there will be a day when we will be free of envy and it's ugly behavior. This all gave me comfort because it is a heart issue with others that I can pray about. I also know that I have not done something offensive to them and furthermore, I praise God that they can see Jesus in me.
If you have ever been a victim of envy you know what it feels like. So let us not spread it to others.
Why? because the Bible says so. Let me share a few verses in closing:
Proverbs 14:30
A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.
Proverbs 23:17
Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
Galatians 5:26
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Galatians 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
I Peter 2:1
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
These are just a few of the verse that speak of envy. Here are some that you can look up in our Bible time:
Proverbs 24:1, James 3:16, and Mark 7:20-23
Thank you for joining me today. Have a blessed week!
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May 13, 2024
💎" Encouraging Ourselves In The Lord"💎
These days there is so much chaos and discouragement in the world that we need to be reminded of how to encourage ourselves in the Lord. I have included in todays blog just a few ways to do so. I am sure that you could think of more. Please feel free to share them with me at the email above and I will glad to put them in here to share with others.
In Ephesians 5:18-21, I can see some ideas and then I have added some from my own experiences in life.
1.) Meditating on his word and taking a verse with you to focus on throughout your day.
2.) Praise. This can be a song in your heart that you quietly sing to him throughout your day or praise music that you listen to daily.
3.) Finding things to thank him for throughout your day. (a friendly co-worker, the sunshine, a good news health report or phone call etc.)
4.) Edifying another person by sending them a card, helping them in their time of need, lending a listening ear etc.
5.) Gauging your response. Does your response match with he promises in his word? In other words are you trusting in his promises even though you see no answer right now? If you are then peace should be present. If not and you are struggling to have faith in his promises, then first pray about it. Then follow the Holy Spirit's leading to forgive, apologize, or whatever is necessary to help you to let go and let God back in to your circumstances. Then review and apply this list and/or your own list and go forth in encouragement and peace!
Thank you for stopping in today! Please let me know how I can be an encouragement to you!
Have a blessed day jewels!
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May 6, 2024
"Commercially Done"
I heard a commercial on the radio one day about family counseling. The background music was happy, the lady sounded happy and I thought wow she seems so nice. Then I remembered my experience with counseling and it was not as happy as the commercial was. The receptionist was very rude and the counselor seemed bored and ready to offer the book solution and send me on my way.
Most commercials are the same way. They send you all kinds of welcoming feelings. They promise healing, friendships, love , money, basically with what they selling, they tell you that your life will better. Sin also over promises in this way and always under delivers.
Have you ever walked into a church, business or somewhere, where it seems like everyone has it together and you think that you would like to be like them? It is not always as it appears at times.
If we want our relationship with Christ to be what people on the outside see and yet inside it is the total opposite, then we have missed out on joy , peace, love, and a life of abundance. We are living a fake commercial like life. Not a real christian life.
It is time to change the channel and to live a life of truth, that is, reality from God's point of view. The hope of a better life is more solid and true in Christ.
We are now interrupting our regularly schedule life for a brief message on a new one:
🏡1.Want a mansion? He will make you one.
John 14:2 says, In my Father's house are many mansions. If it weren't so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
2. Want a new car? He will give you wings.👼
Isaiah 40:31 says, They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
3.Want joy and peace? He will give you both.😂
Romans 14:17 says, For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
4. Want to live forever? He will give you eternal life.
1 John 5:12-13 says,
He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
5.Want love? He will give you unconditional love?
Romans 5:8 says, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
6. Want to travel? He will take you places that you have never been.
Isaiah 58:14 says,
Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD: and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
7. Want it all at a great price? He has paid the price in full.💰
✟ Jesus paid for it all at calvary for us! ✟
How is this for a great commercial life?!
So let's get it started by making some changes.
1. Change the director of your life to Christ - Proverbs 3:5-6
2. Change your location- Get out of the bars and other places that won't help you and get into church.
Hebrews 10:25
3. Change your script - Get in the word and prayer.
Hebrews 4:12, 1Thessolonians 5:17
4. Change your backdrop- to a heart, mind, and soul relationship with Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-8
Thank you for tuning in to todays commercial.
Have a blessed week all!
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April 29, 2024
"Let Regret Alone"
In Mark 14 starting in verse 3, there was a woman who had a very expensive ointment. She broke open the box that it was in, and poured it on Jesus' head. Now there were, as always some people that judged her for what she did. They thought she wasted it. They said that the ointment could have been sold and the money given to the poor.💰
Have you ever done something in your life and thought that you were doing the right thing and then there was someone who said differently about you? I have had that happen to me both in my past and just recently. I had good intentions but the people in my life saw my actions differently. To be quite honest you can regret doing the right thing at times. Of course, there are things in my life that I have done wrong, as well, and wished that I hadn't done them either. But regret will only keep you from enjoying life to it's fullest. The things that I have regretted, I have given to the Lord and he has used them for his glory. Just like the women in this account in the Bible.
Jesus said to the people " Let her alone: why trouble her? She has done a good work on me. For you have the poor with you always and whenever you want you may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying."
"Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her." 👑
Wow! That is our Lord! Leave her alone she has done what she could and it will be a memorial to her.
Jewels, Jesus is telling us to leave regret behind. We do the best we can with his leading and he will take it from there. She didn't have to defend herself, he did it for her. He protected her reputation from being tainted and made it an honor to her. He has done this for many and continues to do so for us today. So leave regret alone. Put it in his hands and move forward in the same peace, joy and adoration that I am positive she had toward him and because of him!
Have a very blessed week!
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April 22, 2024
🚗" Going Forward in Truth"🚗
Good Morning Jewels!
🚧 Have you ever been driving down a road and suddenly in front of your there is a sign that says the road is closed and you have to go another way? Life is this way sometimes, we want to just go forward and then bam out of no where we hit a pot hole, speed bump or detour. Life is definitely full of trials. 🚧
In proverbs 4:25 it says, "Let thine eyes look right on and thine eyelids look straight before thee."
😀Looking straight ahead. If you're goal is to move forward, then we need to be watching where we are headed. If we keep looking back we can't go forward safely. Our past, at times, can come up when we least expect it. Check with God, ask him, is this a pain I haven't dealt with yet? If so, ask him to help you heal.
I Peter 1:13 says:
"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Christ."
To gird up your loins means to be prepared, stay alert and be ready. They used to wear long tunics and had a way to tuck the loose ends into a girdle so that they could move their legs to fight if needed. We too also need to be ready and alert because we have an enemy that wants to destroy us. Therefore, we need to be sober in our spiritual and mental states. This means that we must trust and hope in Christ fully. By engaging with him daily in all aspects of our lives. Our thoughts should be focused on his promises and not bottom out during difficulties. How do we know that we aren't doing these things?
⛔ Here is a list of a few do not enter signs:⛔
1. When we are constantly freaking out about our circumstances to the point where it impacts our health. Not eating, sleeping etc.
2. When there is constant anxiety and we can't think of anything else.
3. Rage or bad behavior. Anger is one thing but when we do things that infringe on the lives of others in a negative way then we are not trusting in God.
Let me just say we are going to have concern and dislikes for what we are going through and that is okay. But when peace is not present then God has been left behind. Which brings me to the next verse.
Ephesians 6:14
"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.
Truth is reality from God's point of view. He is the measuring stick for our lives. We don't need to measure our lives and well being by any other standard than his. When our cars break down there are manufactured parts made for that particular vehicle and manufacturer's guidelines for it's maintenance and care. So it is with us. We are here by God's design and he knows best about our well being and care!!! Truth is the way to go and not a fake, "I am fine." Notice that it says to stand, not fall. We cannot go forward if we are falling. Protecting the loins was a serious part of armor in a battle, so is protecting our life from the enemy with truth. It also says having on the breastplate of righteousness. It means that we are to have on right living, daily. Not just when the battle hits and then grab it. But have it on at all times. We must guard our hearts against the things of this life that could destroys us.
Below is a small list of some of the ways we can begin to move forward in truth:
🚦1. Continue in the word and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free.
John 8:31-32
"Then Jesus said to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed: and ye shall know the truth and the truth make you free."
🚦2.Trust in the Lord, don't relay on your ways. In everything you do accept him and his ways.
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths."
🚦3. Don't focus on the past. He has something new for you!
Isaiah 43:18-19
"Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."
🚦4. Listen to the Holy Spirit and his truth
John 16:13
"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak of his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak. He will declare to you the things that are to come."
🚦5. Allow the Lord to teach and guide you.
Psalm 32:8
"I will instruct thee and teach thee the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eyes."
I know very well that life is hard and I know that you can have peace and joy in the midst of it all. Go forward in truth my friends. Don't waste life spinning your wheels in the same spot of bitterness or resentment. When you say I am fine, be genuine. Have a blessed week!
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April 7, 2024
"TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART"
Hello Everyone!
Tomorrow is Total Solar Eclipse Day.
It left me with thoughts that I would like to share with you.
I thought about God's glory and how in many accounts in the Bible that God's glory was so bright that it was like a devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. (Exodus 24:17)
I have read about God's glory in heaven being like a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. (Revelations 24:11)
I have read how the city had no need of the sun, neither the moon, to shine in it : for the Glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. (Rev. 24:23) Also Read Isaiah 60:19
The point is that the world system runs on the solar and lunar existence, but if we have put on the glasses of Jesus Christ who crossed over our sin(darkness) with the cross and his blood, then we will see no more darkness. But we will see the lights of his glory forever.
John 3:16 says: For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
That my Gems is a total eclipse of the heart! If you haven't experienced it, you don't want to miss out! Email me and I will give you all the information you need to get it.
Enjoy the Solar Eclipse tomorrow and have a blessed week!
Jen
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March 30, 2024
JESUS' PRECIOUS STONES OF GRACE
PROVERBS 17:8
Lessons Through Rick From God
THE HIDDEN SIN
But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. Joshua 7:1. This chapter starts out with 1 man and his sin after the defeat of Jericho. The Israelites are emboldened after the victory because of the miraculous power power of God and decide to attack Ai with just a few men. Their trust in God was right, however they had not consulted him and did not know that Achan had kept things from Jericho that God had said to destroy. As they attacked, because God was not with them, they are pushed back and of the 3000 about 36 men are killed. This did not have to happen. I believe there are several things we can learn from this passage.
#1-Call upon the Lord in every decision of your life and make sure that you are right with Him so that His will is done. Hebrews 11:6 says, But without faith it is impossible to to Please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. When we seek Him, He will bless us. This may not be the way we think he will, monetarily, possessions, or things like that, but He will bless us. May be through peace in our life or great rest. Either way look for the good things in your life when God blesses you and praise Him for them.
#2-Our sin has consequences, not just to ourselves but many times spills over to those around us. In those days it was common for sin to be punished beyond just the person that did it. Further in the chapter we find out that Achan's whole family and all his possessions, his sons, his daughters, his livestock, his tent, and all that he had are stoned to death and burned so that none of his sin remained. In this day we and our family may not be killed for our sin but those around you may still suffer because of your sin. Jail time separates families. Divorce separates families. Depression from guilt separates families. Romans 6:23 says, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
#3-Confession and repentance of sin is always a great first step. We are not old in this passage if Achan and hi family would have been saved if he had confessed before he was found out when God called together all of Israel and narrowed it down tribe by tribe and family by family, but we do know that 36 men would not have lost their lives and if they all had families, would not have been left without a father if the sin had been purged before Israel went up against Ai. Because of Jesus' death on the cross and taking upon himself our sin and His resurrection and defeat of death and sin we are made righteous in God's sight. At the moment we accept Christ we are clean before Him. This does not mean we have a free pass to continue in sin and not confess our sin to God. 1John 1:9-10 says, If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. Confessing our sin will keep us humble before Him. We also need to repent and turn from our sin. This does not mean that we will do everything perfect after we repent. But it is not an excuse to not strive to work toward perfection and righteous living for God. Proverbs 11:18-19 says, The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward. As righteousness tendeth (leads) to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.
This goes out to everyone. Not just men but to the precious single moms trying to lead your family in a Godly direction and all that are trying to lead friends and family to Christ. I leave you with one of my favorite verses in the Bible. Nehemiah 4:14 And I looked and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible (awesome), and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses. Fight on my brothers and sisters and find comfort and peace in our Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ.
Have a great week and may God bless you everyday. Rick
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3/29/24
"Selling Ourselves Short"
Who do we depend on for a raise?
What will we do to get it?
What do we wear, drive, act or talk like to entice friends?
What treatment will we take to get what we want from someone?(For example their love, approval, money, etc.)
How far will we go at selling ourselves short?
Do we look for one or many resources for love, hope, wisdom, provision and approval?
Do we look at our circumstances and only see the pain, loss, and devastation that we have endured?
Many questions today to think about, I know, but we all do these things at some point in our lives, and it can sometimes lead us on paths we don't want to be on.
Let's look at what the Bible says:
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrew 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
James 1:5,6,8
But if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all liberally(generously) and Upbraideth not(will not criticize); and it shall be given him. VS.6 But let him ask in faith nothing wavering(without doubt). For he that wavereth(doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. VS.8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
My life has been very shaken lately and I too had to come back to these basics and get back on track. I took my eyes off of Jesus and let my faith go to other sources and I became like a boat tossed about and, well, a mess. Faith is what keep me steady, unmoved and unshakeable and in peace.
Faith is the very confidence we have for the things we hope for, and confidence in the God that we serve.
You see we need to have knowledge of who God is, and what he requires of us. Then we put it all into action, apply it and live it out.
The bottom line is I Corinthians 2:5
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God!
WHY????
SO THAT WE WILL NEVER SELL OURSELVES SHORT!
Follow the footprints of verses in prayer 👣
Hebrews 11:1
Father, help me to have faith and hope in 👣you, the unseen God. 👣
Hebrews 11:6 Help me to believe in you and that you do reward those that seek you. 👣
James 1:5,6,8 Help me to seek your wisdom, knowing that you will not criticize me but will generously give it to me. Help me not to waver but to be strong in faith. I want to be stable in all of my ways and not be tossed about. 👣
I Corinthians 2:5 So that I may live in peace and stand in your wisdom and power and not worry about what others say or think of me. And in all of this I won't sell myself short ever again. 👣
In Jesus' name, Amen.👣
God bless you my jewels. Love Jen
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3/13/24
"Raise Your Hands"
Hello Ladies
Are you in a battle? Are you tired and feel like you can't take one more thing or one more step?
In Exodus 17:1-6 there was a battle going on and when Moses held up his hands Israel would prevail and when he let them down Amalek would prevail.
But when Moses hands were tired, Aaron and Hur would hold them up until the battle was won.
So you say great what does that do with my battle?
Well, it helps us to know what things we can do in the battle.
1. We do not know how long the battle will be, so have some trusting women in your life that can help lift you up in the midst of the battle. A cord of three isn't easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12
2. Get in the word. Just like Moses needed a stone under him for strength, the Bible is our rock of strength.
3. Praise God for he inhabits the praises of his people. Instead of complaining. If Moses, Hur and Aaron gave into the complaining, the battle would have been lost. I Corinthians 3:16
5. Don't forget your rod(God).Notice the rod that Moses had for the water that the people needed. It was great, but it was not the quick fix for the battle that was ahead. God gave power to the rod. The power and the timing of when it could be used. He is our rod and we should allow him to decide when, where, and how. Matthew 28:18
We may feel alone in the battle and that is how the enemy would like us to feel, but God loves us and will always be with us if we allow him to be.
I did not type out the scriptures this time so that you can look at them for yourselves. See how they apply to the steps that we can take in our battle until it is over.
Raise your head and your hands for you are a daughter of a King!
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3/4/24
"HURTFUL BEGINNINGS"
Hello Gems. 😃
Have you ever been hurt by someone close to you?
Whether it is family or a close friend, the pain and emotions left behind can be difficult to deal with. I have been hurt deeply many times in my life and I do have to admit that I did not deal with these things in the way that I should have dealt with them. So I believe I continued to have these kind of dealings until I looked to the right source to help me handle it peacefully. That source of course was and is God. The creator who made and knows us all better than we know ourselves. I would like to share some of the simple things he has taught me. The first thing is to give your hurt, pain, and anger to him in prayer. Jesus suffered with mistreament quite alot, even unto his death and he knows how it feels and how to help us. The second thing I was taught was that I must forgive those that hurt me so that I will not be a bitter, angry, person. Ephesians 4:31-32 sums this up quite nicely. Now I admit that I cringed at the thought of being kind and tender- hearted, but doing so keeps you humbled and calm. In fact a bit of this a day will keep pride away.
Then there is one more thing, take the person or people that have hurt you and pray for them daily. You see, sometimes we want them to see things, that their hearts are not in the right place to see. When it comes to matters of the heart I learned that they are matters that only God can handle.
Ezekiel 36:26
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
God has given us the people in our lives to love and cherish and we should try to make and keep peace with them if it is possible.
Romans 12:18
If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Sometimes peace is hard to manage and we have to walk away and let God have them. This can be difficult when we want to help and love them. I am currently encountering a situation such as this, at this very time in my life. But God has showed me that he is the very best one to turn them over to. He will care for them, love them, and chastise(if needed) them, better than we ever can. We cannot change them by fighting with them or trying to reason with them when they don't want to be. However, if we continue to try, they will change us into angry, bitter and sometimes miserable people. I am almost sure that none of us want to be that person... so it is better to give them to the one who created them and knows how to care for them. One more thing before I close,
Isaiah 49:15-16 says"
Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See I have engraved you on the palm of my hands; your walls are ever before me.
God will never forget you, he knows your pain and will help you with it, and them, if you will let him. Give it to him in prayer every time it comes to your mind. It may some take time to work on that loved one. Until then, go find someone else to give love and help to. Who wants and needs it. It could be the beginning of something wonderful!
Gems thank you for checking in today and I wish you a blessed week! Email me, I would love to hear from you!. XOXOX
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
I Peter 4:7
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2/26/24
"WEIGHT LOSS"
Good Afternoon Jewels!
Today I want to talk about losing weight. I can hear the moans now because weight loss can be a tough goal to meet without lots of discipline. But todays verse is Hebrews 12:1B
Let us lay aside every weight, and sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
What is the weight that you are carrying today? Is it the loss of a loved one, a financial burden, a broken relationship, a wayward child, caring for a mature parent, stress on the job? These weights or what some folks call burdens, can be heavy and keep us from moving on in the race or the life and purpose that God has for us. How can we have peace and lay these weights down? I am glad that you asked.
1.) The Bible says that at false balance is abomination to the Lord: But a just weight is his delight.(Prov.11:1) So we must have a balance in our walk with him. If we see him as a Genie that we take down when something is wrong, and never take time to have fellowship with him through prayer, reading his word, or fellowship with other believers and listening and obeying his voice, then we are unbalanced. So make time to be balanced. The weight will get lighter.
2.) The Bible says that when pride cometh, then cometh shame: But with the lowly is wisdom.(Proverbs11:2) See the next step is dropping pride and allowing God to help you. You ask, seek and knock, and in his time and his way, he will guide you in each situation with wisdom, knowledge and discernment. So trust him and cast that weight on his diligent shoulders. He can handle it!.
3.) The Bible says one more thing, Be kindly affectioned to one another. Not slothful in business, fervent(passionate) in the spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope(He is our hope); patient in tribulation; continuing instant(the first thing we do and continue to do)in prayer. Bless them that persecute you, rejoice with them that rejoice and weep with them that weep.
Well my sweet Jewels, with all of these wonderful things to do, who has time to carry extra weight around? I am praying for your weight loss spiritually and I am just an email away if I can help you at all. May God bless you and keep you in his care.
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2/12/24
"DON'T RETRACT YOUR LIGHT"
Everywhere I go it seems that people do not respect or consider other people. Perhaps it is because we don't respect ourselves, so how can we begin to respect others. For example, I see woman who dress half naked and leave nothing to the imagination and then get upset when men hit on them and yell crude remarks. Then before you know it, another women who dresses just like them comes along and walks in front of their boyfriend or husband and when he looks at this other woman she doesn't like it. How can we get right treatment with wrong behavior?
Well let's consider some things. What happens without light? Well, anyone who has walked in the dark probably has fallen, ran into something, or stubbed a toe a time or two. The same kind of thing happens when we walk without the Lord. We lose direction, we experience pain, and fall down. When we hide our light, we are in disobedience to the Lord and are focusing on the dark. We ask questions such as what if?, Who is there? and what was that? etc.
Walking in the light is a right now action, not a when we feel like it, or when things get better.
Darkness does not like light because it shines on things that are hidden and don't want to be seen.
So here's a few ways we can shine our light and have better behavior.
1. Focus on the light source (God) by talking to him and reading and applying his word.
2. Memorize victory scriptures of our hope in the light and renew your mind. Behavior will follow.
3. Shine your light by helping others get through their rough time and sharing your wisdom of God with them.
If your light is growing dim perhaps with a negative attitude, or your down and out, change the light bulb(get a new perspective)and get back in line with the main source.
The adversary(the devil) will use many sources to put the power to your light out. (relatives, co-workers, friends, other christians)
If the temptation comes to let the power go out, God will provide a way out of the temptation, just ask. He has all power in heaven and earth.(Matthew 28:18)
Isaiah 40:29 He giveth power the faint: and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Zechariah 4:6 b Not by might, or by power, but by my spirit saith the the LORD of hosts.
He has high voltage!💡💡
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
So in closing, remember that our words and actions begin with our thoughts and hearts. Our feelings are real, but they should not be the boss of us. Let his light shine in you and watch your life change for the better!
God bless and SHINE ON 😇
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1/28/24
"STUFFED WITH FLUFF"
Several years ago my daughter and I went to a place called Build A Bear. When we went, we began by picking the bear or animal of our choice. Then we had to get it stuffed just right. Too much could pop it, too little would make it incomplete. Then we did a little dance and kissed the heart and put it inside with the fluff. Then we proceeded to pick outfits for it and then name, and register it. This was such a fun time for us, we went back many more times.🐻
In a season of life that Rick and I are in at this time, God showed me that we have areas in our lives that are empty, hurt and cause us pain and grief. These, like the bears that my daughter and I made, have to be handled carefully by our maker, God. He knows exactly how much "fluff" we need or don't need in these deeper areas of our lives. See too much fluff can lead to what the Bible calls being puffed up or prideful(I Corinthians 13:4) and then we leave God behind. Too little of fluff can cause us to fill our lives with things to fill those voids, and those things lead us to the path of destruction. God knows exactly what we need and when we obey him, and lay our very deep pains, loneliness, burdens and emptiness, completely in prayer to him, every time they come to us, he will fill us and we will live in joy and full healing.
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John 15:10 & 11
"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy may be full."
See it is an exhange, we obey him, and we talk to him about every deep pain in detail, and in return he heals us and fills us. The Bible says "Blessed are those which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:6)
So will you be filled with the right amount of "fluff" today?
💖 God loves you and is waiting to fill you to overflowing with peace, joy, love and healing.
May Go bless and keep you! Jen.
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JESUS' PRECIOUS STONES OF GRACE
PROVERBS 17:8
Lessons Through Rick from God
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Submission
As Jen and I were walking around a park one day we came across a couple that were walking their two dogs. As we passed we chatted with the couple for a second and one of the dogs dropped to its belly and was growling a little. The man said, "That is his friendly hello." I remembered that this is how dogs submit. God showed me in that instance that this is how we need to submit to Him. Sometimes we may come to Him growling and that is ok. He already knows everything and He understands, but we need to come before Him humbly and submitted. Even the Psalmist David went to God crying and wailing when when he was in distress like in Psalm chapter 22 and chapter 51. But even in despair he still came before God submitted knowing God was in charge, was still with David, and was still in control. We too, like David, have access to God in this way through prayer and humble submission. Come before God and humbly proclaim Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me". The promise of this is Psalm 51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Have a Great week and may God bless you every day. Rick
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Devotion For 1/8/24
STIR TO THE RIGHT CONSISTENCY
So as we start the new year, some of us will or won't make resolutions. These are commitments to so many things from losing weight to being a better person. Whether or not you make a resolution for this year or not, making a commitment to the Lord is the best one you can or will ever make for sure. But it takes work like any other relationship to make it great and consistency is a great place to start. The definition for consistency: is an ability to be asserted together without contradiction.
Another word that I use for it is Sticktoitiveness.
We need to be hearers and doers of the word.
James 1:22 says But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only. Deceiving your own selves.
It may feel like God isn't there when we don't get things our way, but he is our designer and knows that sometimes what we think is right could be so wrong. I have lived that out so many times in my life and I am glad to give him the reigns now so I don't blow it with wrong choices again.
Romans 2:13 says it is not those that hear the law that are righteous to God but those that obey it that are righteous in his eyes.
I Corinthians 15:58 says to be stedfast, unmoveable, so that you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
GOD IS STEADY
Deuteronomy 31:6
The Lord say to be strong and courageous and fear not for he will never leave you nor forsake you,
John 3:16
He gave his only begotten son so that we will not perish but have everlasting life.
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever.
So as you can see we can put our consistent trust in a God not made with hands but that is alive, real and very consistent!!
Consistency builds trust and a great relationship. It requires the following ingredients:
1.) Focus on the process before the outcome.
2.) Hope in God's promises and keeping them in front of you daily.
3.) Joy in the moments by looking for his movements in situations and looking forward to what he is going to do.
4.) Staying in the word. Not just reading but considering what God is saying to you.
5.) Praying daily, talking to him about everything and then being still and listening for that still voice to speak to your heart and to lead you.
Mix all ingredients to the right consistency. When put in the oven of life, you will come out warm, loving, full of peace and joy!
Happy New Year!
Jen
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11/13/23
SPIRITUALLY BROKEN😨
At times we are separated from God and that separation leaves us spiritually broken. Let's take a glance at why we are separated. The effects of it, and how we can get back to him. Here we go.
The cause of the separation:
1. Sin - Our sin can separate us from God. Saved or not.
The Bible says: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:2
2. No Fellowship With Him - No prayer and time in his word.
The Bible says: And have no fellowship with the unfruitful work of darkness, but rather reprove them. Ephesians 5:11
3. No Service - Not being busy about his work causes us to lose humility. The Bible says: Serve the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 10:12
4. Focus on this Life Instead of Him - When the weight of this world and it's problems are our focus, we lose sight of him. He hasn't moved, we have.
The Effects of the Separation:
Anger, bitterness, indifference, depression and the inability to cope with life's problems. Lack of fellowship with God causes unrest, unrest causes anxiety, and anxiety can lead to hopelessness, depression and helplessness.
Can you come back? YES you can. The little voice inside that is saying this isn't the right way to live an abundant life. You have to do something..... that is the Holy Spirit convicting you and nudging you to come back! ( It is noteworthy to say that the Holy Spirit is a gift to those who have salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.)
Read Luke 15:1-27 and you will see the examples of a lost sheep being found, a piece of silver that was found, and a son that wondered away and came home. In each case there was joy and celebration. So it is with us when we come back to our Lord.
Revelations 2:4-5 Makes it very clear that we left and what our choices are. We can repent and come back or our light will be removed quickly. So with this being said, what do we do?
1. Repent - Turn from the sin that separates you from God. This means turn from it and do it no more.
2. Get Back into Fellowship with God - Make time for the word and prayer.
3. Get Back to Serving - We are to be busy doing his work until he comes. Do something at your church. If you are not sure what, pray and then ask the Pastor if there is something you can do.
4. Refocus- Remember when Peter took his eyes off of Jesus in the storm? He sank. Keep your focus on the word by practicing what it says and meditating on it. This also includes taking time talking to him.
A Pastor once said that a sermon is an appetizer, but for those who want the meat and treasures of their salvation, they must be in constant fellowship with the Lord.
******God Bless you and have a great week!**********
11/06/23
HARD TIMES
I often hear these days, that we are enduring are hard times, that this life is chaotic, and it is. In my own life I have asked God "why?" Sometimes I get to see why and sometimes I don't. The things that I have learned, is that these moments are when I get to exercise my faith, it is when I get to spend time pouring out my soul to God and then I get to watch and see what he will do. I also know that however he decides to handle it, will be the best way, after all, he created me for his purpose and plan. Here are a few examples of how he cares:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Jeremiah 29:11
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand.
Isaiah 14:24
We are truly HIS by design and he has a purpose for our lives and in these hard times we need to let go and let him have his way. Is it easy? No. But when we stay close to him daily, by reading his word and talking to him about it all and praising him for the good in our lives, we can do better at letting go. However, if we choose to focus on the issues and not him, there will be no hope, peace or joy. There will be fear, anxiety, and discord in our lives. I can tell you that every time I am not reading, praying and praising him, I am falling apart about everything in my life. HE IS WORTH THE EFFORT to take the time to do these things daily!! I want to leave you a few verses to consider. If he can and did do these things, how much more will he care for us?
John 1:3 - All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.
Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning God created the heaven and earth.
Isaiah 48:13 - Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.
Hebrews 3:4 - For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.
I know that I talk alot about letting go in my postings. It is because, if you want to put God to the test, this is the best way to see him at work, by allowing him to use his power in your life. My desire is to see that every Christian has the true value of their salvation, a relationship with Jesus, not religion. God bless and know that we are only an email away to help however we are able.
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10/23/23
A MORSEL FROM THE KINGS TABLE
GOD WASTES NOTHING
Have you ever had a season in your life where everything was absolutely turned upside down and you felt like you could not take anymore? I had a couple of days like that this week where I was so fed up with everything. However, the lesson that God has shown me through these kind of seasons has given me hope to carry on. Please allow me to explain.
Because we live in a fallen world we all will experience these rough seasons. There is however, a great reason for these shaking and stirring seasons in our lives. It could be because we need to step out of a comfort zone, and step up to something better that will get us out of the wilderness that we are in. We could need to listen to the Holy Spirit and his direction better and boy are we really ready to listen when things are going badly! 😉 It could be a pride issue that needs fixing, or we need to spend more time growing our relationship with Christ. It could be many things. One thing is for sure, God does not waste anything that we go through. He uses it all for his glory and honor. Remember, Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe (John 20:28,29)
Remember Jonah? God used a whale in order to get stubborn Jonah to do what he asked him to do. Which was to take God's message to the people of Nineveh. If you recall, God's message did get to those folks. I guess spending three days in the belly of a whale and then being vomited out on land was a rough season for him! But it definitely compelled him to do what God asked!
What about the loaves and fishes? Five loaves of bread and two fish. Not much to feed thousands, but in Jesus' hands it was more than enough with twelve baskets left over. Do you ever feel like your resources aren't enough or you don't have what it takes? God knows how to use what you are willing to give, and I am sure that the little boy wanted his lunch that day but he gave it anyway.
For those of you that say but I have really blown it. If I had time to share my testimony, I would tell you that I get it, I blew it too. God knows your heart. What the world sees or thinks does not matter to him. He can and will take our messes and use them. Look this verse up. (I Samuel 16:7)It is a great reminder to us that Gods looks on the inside of us not on the outside.
Let's look at one more, Noah. Wow, God told him to build an ark. This had to be a huge ark for the animals( two of every kind), and his family. There were no blueprints or fancy tools. But the threat of the floods coming may have sent him a sense of urgency to build it. Talk about stress! I went to New Orleans to help rebuild after Katrina and I saw the complete destruction that the flooding of water can bring...... scary! It too was a rough season for Noah. Yet in Noah's case there were many things God used, the storm, the floods, the dove so that they knew when they could leave the ark and of course a rainbow of promise to never flood the earth again.
God even used those who were stubborn and making their own messes such as Pharoah and let's not forget Judas who had a role in Jesus getting to Calvary.
You get the picture. Whatever the rough season is, in your life today, rest assured that your Lord and Saviour is very aware of it and will use it for his honor and glory. He will use it for your growth and his design for your life, and perhaps, sometimes through our rough season, he can even use it to help someone else.
If someone told you to do something you have never done before such as a new recipe or a new exercise. You can read about it, watch someone else do it, but until you do it yourself you will not fully understand it or know how to do it well. So allow God to take over this rough season and show you that he can handle it and will bring you through it.
If you aren't sure how to let go and let God. Please email us at
jewels byHISdesign@gmail.com
Have a great day and God bless!
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9/25/23
A Word From THE KING
Spiritual Weapon
Yes I titled this devotion Spiritual Weapon. One single weapon. In Ephesians 6:10-20 it describes many spiritual weapons. So why did I title this with one weapon? Let me explain. Verses 10, 11 and 12 explain that Satan is our enemy, what it is that we wrestle against, and to be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. In verse 13 the reason we are to be strong in his might, and that is so that we can be strong in the dark times of this life with joy and peace. So then we get into the pieces of our armour or spiritual weapons.
The loins of truth - Jesus saith unto unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
The breastplate of righteousness - The Lord is righteous in all his works. Psalm 145:17
The feet of the gospel - Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
II Thessalonians 2:14
The shield of faith - For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. I john 5:4
The helmet of salvation - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8,9
The sword of the Spirit - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1
So.. what does all of this have to do with a spiritual weapon? As you can see each one points back to the Lord himself in everyway. HE IS OUR SPIRITUAL WEAPON!
Would you consider taking the gift of this free weapon today? If so please contact us @jewelsbyHisdesign@gmail.com. We would love to help you get back what the enemy has taken from you.
God bless you! Thank you for visiting us today.
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8/28/23
A WORD OF WISDOM FROM DEB'S CORNER
MY ANGELS, HOW IS IT GOING WITH YOUR ASSIGNMENT? WELL NOW, THE NEXT TIME YOU QUICK CLEAN YOUR BATHROOM AND MAKE YOUR BED,TURN AROUND AND GIVE IT A LONG GLANCE. REMEMBER YOU AND GOD DID IT TOGETHER. ALSO REMEMBER NOT TO STRESS AND TO TAKE YOUR TIME. TAKE GOD WITH YOU TO HELP MOTIVATE AND TO GIVE YOU THE STRENGTH YOU NEED. SO FAR YOU HAVE GOT UP, GOT DRESSED AND CLEANED YOUR BATHROOM. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU.
YOUR ASSIGNMENT
IN THE KITCHEN WASH THE FEW DISHES FROM LAST NIGHT. MAKE COFFEE, LUNCHES AND BREAKFAST. CLEAN AS YOU GO. (FILL THE SINK WITH SOAPY HOT WATER BEFORE YOU BEGIN COOKING SO THAT YOU WILL BE READY TO CLEAN AS YOU GO.)WIPE DOWN TH COUNTERS, DO A QUICK MOP AND DON'T FORGET TO CLEAN THE SINK AND AROUND THE FAUCET TO MAKE IT LOOK NICE AND PRETTY!
A TIDBIT FROM THE KING!
MARK 9:50
SALT IS GOOD,BUT IF THE SALT HAVE LOT HIS SALTNESS,WHEREWITH WILL YE SEASON IT? HAVE SALT IN YOURSELVES, AND HAVE PEACE ONE WITH ANOTHER.
HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED HOW BLAND AND TASTELESS FOOD CAN BE WTHOUT SEASONING? IN OUR CULINARY WORLD TODAY WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US MANY KINDS OF SEASONINGS TO MAKE FOOD TASTE SO YUMMY! SO IT STANDS TO REASON WHY JESUS SPOKE ABOUT SALT. WE EACH SHOULD HAVE SALT IN EVERYTHING FROM OUR CHARACTER TO OUR INTEGRITY EVEN WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING.(THAT IS REAL INTEGRITY WHEN NO ONE SEES BUT YOU AND GOD) SALT IN OUR LIVES SHOULD BE HONESTY, LOVE, PURENESS, COMPASSION, KINDNESS, VIRTUE,TRUTH, JUSTICE,THINGS OF GOOD REPORT AND ANY KINGDOM WORTHY BEHAVIORS AS WELL. SALT IS ALSO A PRESERVATIVE AND HELPS TO KEEPS THINGS FROM GOING BAD. GOD IS OUR PRESERVATIVE IN OUR LIVES TO KEEP THINGS FROM GOING BAD. BY HAVING COMMUNION WITH HIM IN HIS WORD AND PRAYER IT HELPS US TO FOCUS AWAY FROM THE BAD THINGS THAT CAN DESTROY OUR LIVES. PRESERVING OTHER PEOPLE'S REPUTATION INSTEAD OF GOSSIPING AND TEARING THEM DOWN. BEING KIND TO ONE ANOTHER IS ALSO A WAY OF PEACE FOR YOU AND THEM. LET ME SHARE ONE MORE VERSE TO DRIVE THIS POINT HOME.
II CORINTHIANS 13:11
FINALLY, BRETHREN, FAREWELL. BE PERFECT, BE OF GOOD COMFORT, BE OF ONE MIND, LIVE IN PEACE; AND THE GOD OF LOVE AND PEACE SHALL BE WITH YOU.
*****TRIVIA TIME*****
REMEMBER THE FIRST ONE TO GIVE US THE ANSWER AT OUR EMAIL ADRESS WINS!
WHAT BOOK IN THE BIBLE HAS THE MOST CHAPTERS AND HOW MANY CHAPTER ARE THERE IN THAT BOOK?
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Good Morning to all of the Lord's Gems
Today is Trivia Day!
Here is how it works. A Bible question will be put up and the first one to our email with the correct answer and a TRUE comment about our blog wins.
Please remember to leave us a contact phone number. Here we go.
*****In order to get to the Father in heaven who
do we have to go through and why?*****
💎💎💎A NOTE FROM DEB'S CORNER💎💎💎
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
For the next week I would like you to get up and make your bed before you do anything else. If you need to, set your alarm earlier so you can do so. It is a great feeling at the end of the day to get into a made bed. It also feels like you have accomplished something before your day starts. We will have several things to do to help us get to where we can be stress free. Stay positive and remember that it takes 21 days to form a habit. Also remember that we are giving blessings to ourselves and our families.
How did you do with making your bed? Email me and let me know at jewelsbyhisdesign@gmail.com
If you struggled, it is okay tomorrow is another day, try again.
Your next assignment is getting ready from head to toe including shoes. Remember to stay positive when getting ready for the day. Here is a verse to look at and memorize also: Luke 11:7
Now go into your bathroom( If you have more than one then do one at a time.) Pick up all of the dirty clothes and put t hem in your laundry basket. Take them to the laundry room and put them in the washer.
Wipe down your bathroom sink, countertops, mirrors etc. Put fresh towels out and do a quick sweep and mop. 🧽
These are your new assignments for the week. Please let me know how it is going for you. John 13:10-11
TODAYS THOUGHT
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BE CONTAGIOUS
Go and dare to take the new peace and joy that you have and share it with someone else who is down and edify or lift them up. Send a card, or flowers from your garden. Make a call and check on them. Make a visit, take a meal. Smile at a stranger during your day and see how many smiles you get back! If someone asks you why you are so happy? Just simply say I am glad that you asked and share your new found joy in Christ. If you are on the short end of joy remember the saying, while you are waiting on your ship to come in, send one out. In other words, whatever ship you are waiting on(joy, peace comfort, financial, healing, etc.) send one out to someone else.
Romans 14:19
Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edify another.
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May God bless you as you bless your family. Here is a messy bed in the morning, Get up, say a quick prayer for God to help you with energy to make your bed. It is so nice to have a made bed. Great job! I am so proud of you!
I piled stuff on my desk throughout the day as I was working in other rooms.
Please put everything in its place, Everything has a place.
Sing A New Song
We all know how to sing songs of depression, stress, and turmoil. At times we are down right good at it. Why not sing a new song? Music can move our hearts and lighten them at the same time. Songs can take us back to a certain time and place in our memories, they can move us to tears, make us want to dance and shout........Well you get the picture. So pick a favorite praise hymn and sing it. Two of my favorites are Amazing Grace and I love you Lord. What are your favorites? If you don't know all of the words just hum it. Try making this a part of your day in the car when you are alone or anywhere you like and let it lift you! It is a great way to usher in his presence and keep your joy level on the upscale!!! Be blessed today.
Very busy morning, but only took 5 minutes to put things in there place and sanitize this area. Remember everything has a place. Put items back right away and your area will stay clean and you will be stress free. Keep up the good work. I'm so proud of you. Don't forget to ask God to help you and give you strength to get things done. Remember God wants to be included in all things.
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GAUGE YOUR STANDING
We all question what is going on and why it is happening to us.
Sometimes God will let us know those answers and sometimes not, but he has a reason for all that he does do. We have a gauge, our life compass, to answer some questions as far as where we are in this trial. Allow me to explain. Sometimes we get so caught up in how wrong this or that is that we forget to see our mirror or role in the very thing that we are going through. So while your Bible is open take time to filter the situation through the word. What I said, did or didn't say or do.... was it in line with what God would want? If not, Lord please help me to change my word, actions, or thoughts etc. to get back in line with Your word. The mere confession and goal of making that right has peace in a way for you, to have a goal to work on o that you are not focusing on the trial, but on pleasing The King.
If you are in line with the word there is so much peace in knowing that you are on track. This trial will then take you to the next level in your walk with Christ. Either way the focus is on Him and keeps your mind renewed. In this process you may learn something new while in the word and of course growth will ultimately take place. Sometimes it may be something simple that you could do to help make the situation better, but you didn't see it until now.
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