DON'T BE FOOLED!

If we believe people, money or materialistic things will make us happy and fulfilled, we are only kidding ourselves. Making anyone or anything else priority in our lives, instead of The Lord, will eventually leave an empty void in our lives that only He can fill!  All other replacements are just a temporary counterfeit. DON'T BE FOOLED!

"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."  Romans 15:13 NLT

And remember.....Be encouraged, be blessed and walk in God's total favor as you continue to draw close to Him!

Love you all,
Cyndy

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STAY FOCUSED, STAY PRAYED UP and PRESS ON

THE KEY TO PRESSING ON DURING TRIALS is making sure we are prayed up at all times. In other words, make sure we have a DAILY personal relationship with The Lord and not a relationship we just call on in our hour of need.  Being prayed up doesn't necessarily mean the trials won't be challenging and it does not guarantee the outcome will go the way we want it too.....BUT.....Being prayed up does keep us in tune with our Heavenly Father and gives us peace and assurance HE IS STILL IN CONTROL.

BOTTOM LINE.....

Our circumstance does not come as a surprise to God. He has a purpose and a plan. 

STAY FOCUSED; STAY PRAYED UP and PRESS ON FOLKS!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."  Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

And remember -
My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. Psalm 62:7 NLT

Be encouraged, be blessed and walk in God's total favor!
Love you all,

Cyndy

Check out Bible Gateway and know the scriptures.
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I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!!!

Ever have those times when you wish you could pick up a phone and call someone no longer with us on earth? Well, I've been thinking about my Dad a lot lately, wishing I could call and get some of his great "Fatherly" advice. As I thought about certain doors closing in my life, I started to grab ahold of the fact that in reality, it is God who controls my destiny, not man. The more I thought about it, the more reality smacked me in the face. With tear filled eyes, I looked up and began to literally yell...."I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!!! I'VE BEEN FAITHFUL IN ALL AREAS OF MY LIFE!!!!! I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!!

And in a still small voice (and very calmly I might add) I heard The Lord say, "Really? You're going to throw a tantrum?" Ouch!!! Believe it or not, it was enough to stop me in my tracks. And then I realized what I had done. I yelled at God. And yes, I was throwing a tantrum just like a child with a parent. Filled with instant remorse, all I could do is cry all the more saying, "Oh God! It's YOU I’m angry with. Please forgive me!" He started reminding me of times my Dad would tell me no about something I wanted when I was young. Yet as I got older, I realized Dad was right all along. Being older and wiser, he knew what was best for his daughter; especially when I could not grasp beyond that moment. And in fact, doesn't the same hold true even more when it comes to our Heavenly Father? After all, He’s always available to talk to and He knows exactly what's up ahead.

As His peace flooded my soul and I sat quietly in His presence, the thought went thru my mind, “But, Lord, I still don’t understand.” And the Lord said, “You don’t need to understand. You just need to trust Me.” And then He reminded me of Jeremiah29:11 NLT, “For I know the plans I have for you,”says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Bottom line –

Do I now understand what lies ahead for my future? YES! GOD is in control and all I have to do is TRUST HIM! That my family & friends is all I need to understand. And the same holds true for you too! All you need to do is trust Him. Is it easy? NO, not always. But one thing’s for sure. Our Lord will not lie and His Word will not come back void.

Grab ahold of this folks and don't let it go!

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT

“It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it."  Isaiah 55:11 NLT

And so, my family & friends, I pray the Lord strengthens you and gives you peace; regardless of your present circumstance. I pray you trust Him as you continue to seek His face for wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Allow His peace to overshadow you this very hour as He pours out His complete blessings and favor to overflowing.

Remember, He is in control.

Love you all!
Cyndy

Check out Bible Gateway and know the scriptures.
http://www.biblegateway.com/

WILLING TO SAY GOODBYE

At the age of 18, my Mom boarded a ship as she said goodbye to living in Italy, a place she used to call home. Coming to America, Mom had to prepare herself to learn a new language and adjust to another country; different culture and different ways of living. She also had to do one more thing before becoming a US Citizen. She had to learn and understand about our government and what was expected of her.

Bottom line…

Mom had to agree to follow the laws of our land and take an oath to be faithful to America.  And I can say with certainty, my Mom has remained faithful as a US Citizen.

Well the same holds true when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  In essence, we are saying, "Yes, Lord.  I'm letting go of worldly ways and I'm going to follow You."  But to do this, we must be willing to say goodbye to the sinful ways of this world and grab ahold of the things of God instead. Does this mean we have to say goodbye to enjoying life?  Not at all. But it does mean we need to say goodbye to our sinful desires; things not pleasing to God; lust, greed, envy, drunkenness, sexual immorality and even strife.   My family & friends, clearly these things don't please Him.   

So today, if you’ve decided to follow Jesus, remember Philippians 3:20-21 NLT, where it says, "But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control." 

 

Bottom line…

We just have to be willing to say goodbye.

 

And with this, I pray the Lord enlightens you, as you continue to seek His face for wisdom, knowledge and understanding.  I trust He will pour out His complete favor and blessings; reminding you of His love and goodness towards all His people.

Love you all!

Cyndy

 

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AND THE SAUCE CAME TUMBLING DOWN!

When I do something.....whether good or bad.....I always seem to give it my all! And that's exactly what I did today.....started a pot of sauce early this morning and have been thrilled with the flavor as I tasted it throughout the day.  But oh no! I didn't just stop there. Because you see, when I put the sauce in containers, I wasn't quite paying attention when I attempted to cover it with a lid. As I put pressure on the lid, literally in slow motion, I felt and saw the container slipping off the counter and eventually make it's way to the kitchen floor! And of course....sauce flew all over the place as it splashed completely over me, hitting the bottom kitchen cabinets, the blinds above and even the ceiling.

As I stood covered in sauce, attempting to regain composure, the thought quickly occurred to me that sin is pretty much the same way. At the beginning, sin is normally fun.  But eventually.....the fun ends and there's a price to pay! When we try to conceal and cover our sin, the truth comes splashing all around us; hitting everything and anybody close by.  Funny thing though...When I looked at the sauce covering me a second time, I was immediately reminded how the Blood of Jesus covers a multitude of sin. And so it is....just as I was able to change into clean clothes, the same holds true about Salvation.  As we change our wardrobe from sin to redemption, the old sin no longer exists.

Good news!  Jesus already paid the price for our sin. All we have to do is admit we have sin in our lives and desire to be cleansed from it!  Then it's as simple as asking Jesus to forgive us. If you've never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, what are you waiting for? Get rid of the sin covering you before it comes splashing down all around you.  Just ask Him....and Salvation is yours!!!

And now.....
"Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us."  Revelation 1:4-5 NLT

Praying God's blessings and favor over you as you continue to draw close to Him!

Love you all!
Cyndy


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