Thank God, He became my solution! He began to teach me that I must line up my way of thinking with His way of thinking.  I must believe what His word tells me about myself.  I accomplished this by meditating on His word daily.  When I began meditating on His word, I began renewing my mind and having a new outlook of myself.  I began speaking His truths about myself and slowly began restoring my self-esteem. I spoke truths such as I am His masterpiece and He knew me before He even created me!  Wow, that’s powerful!

Friend, you are God’s masterpiece, beautifully, and wonderfully made!  I encourage you to speak these words out loud daily.  Your words have power.  God’s word says, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” So if you speak words of life over yourself, you will gain life.  If you speak death, you will gain death.  God’s word is life, the world’s words are death. You have a choice which types of words you are going to speak into your life.

Speak this over yourself daily and begin renewing your mind (Romans 12:2):

I am God’s masterpiece  (Ephesians 2:10).

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous – and how well I know it! You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.  How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! They can not be numbered! (Psalm 139:13-17)

By the grace of God I am what I am, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. (1 Cor. 15:10)

I am deeply loved, fully pleasing, totally forgiven, accepted, and complete in Christ!

To God be the glory! I pray as you read these verses, they will begin to take root in your heart and you will begin to fully understand how wide, how long, how high, and how deep God’s love truly is! (Eph. 3:18)

God Bless,

Kristen

Before we left that morning I made sure to read scripture to help me overcome fear.   I wanted very much to enjoy the ride and enjoy the beautiful view.   As I was spending my quiet time with Jesus, I decided I would write out my scriptures to focus on during the ride.  So, I got out my pen and paper and began writing.  I wrote many scriptures that morning and placed them in my pocket for safe keeping!

As the doors closed in front of me, with people all around me (119 to be exact), I began reading my scripture.  The tram soon lifted us off the ground and we dangled from the air.  My flesh wanted desperately to give into the temptation of fear but I refused.  I made a choice to focus everything I had on God and His word. I didn’t give my mind, or Satan, the opportunity to scare me.  I quickly felt peace overcome me.  I was at peace and was able to enjoy the view!  God is an awesome God and He can always conquer our fears if we simply allow Him too.

When we give our fears to God we are able to truly live.  There is so much life out there and we sometimes allow our fear to keep us frozen.  We are unwilling to take chances and experience life.  I challenge you to not live in fear!  Joyce Meyers has stated, “Courage is fear that has said its prayers and decided to go forward anyways.”  We should never allow fear to control our lives, just have a little courage!

Fear is simply a feeling.  After we feel our fear, the next step should be to turn to God.  Give him our fears and stand firm on His word.  After all, His word tells us that He will never leave us nor forsake us.  No matter your fear, rather it be an external fear or an internal fear, give it to God and you will find peace.

God bless,

Kristen

Scriptures on fear:

Psalm 91

John 14:27

Romans 14:23 and Romans 10:17

Matthew 10:31

Psalm 18

leaving the city of regret

I had not really planned on taking a trip this time of year, and yet I found myself packing rather hurriedly.  This trip was going to be unpleasant and I knew in advance that no real good would come of it.  I’m talking about my annual “Guilt Trip.”

I got tickets to fly there on WISH I HAD airlines.  It was an extremely short flight.  I got my baggage, which I could not check.  I chose to carry it myself all the way.  It was weighted down with a thousand memories of what might have been.  No one greeted me as I entered the terminal to the Regret City International Airport.  I say international because people from all over the world come to this dismal town.

As I checked into the Last Resort Hotel, I noticed that they would be hosting the year’s most important event, the Annual Pity Party.  I wasn’t going to miss that great social occasion. Many of the town’s leading citizens would be there.

First, there would be the Done family – you know, Should Have Done, Would Have Done, and Could Have Done.  Then came the I Had family.  You probably know ole Wish I Had and his clan.  Of course, the Opportunities would be present, Missed and Lost.

The biggest family would be the Yesterdays.  There are far too many of them to count, but each one would have a very sad story to share.

Then Shattered Dreams would surely make an appearance.  And It’s Their Fault would regale us with stories (excuses) about how things had failed in his life.  Each story would be loudly applauded by Don’t Blame Me and I Couldn’t Help It.

Well, to make a long story short, I went to this depressing party knowing that there would be no real benefit in doing so.  And, as usual, I became very depressed.  But as I thought about all of the stories of failures brought back from the past, it occurred to me that the remainder of this trip and subsequent “pity parties”could be canceled by ME!  I started to truly realize that I did not have to be there.  I didn’t have to be depressed.  One thing kept going through my mind, I CAN’T CHANGE YESTERDAY, BUT I DO HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE TODAY A WONDERFUL DAY.  I can be happy, joyous, fulfilled, encouraged, as well as encouraging.  Knowing this, I left the City of Regret immediately and left no forwarding address.  Am I sorry for mistakes I’ve made in the past? Yes!  But there is no physical way to undo them.

So, if you’re planning a trip back to the City of Regret, please cancel all your reservations now.  Instead, take a trip to Starting Again.  I liked it so much that I have now taken up permanent residence there.  My neighbors, the I Forgive Myselfs and the New Starts, are very helpful.  By the way, you don’t have to carry around heavy baggage, because the load is lifted from your shoulders upon arrival.  God bless you in finding this great town.  If you can find it – it’s in your own heart – please look me up.  I live on I CAN DO IT street.

I pray that you are blessed as much by this story as I was.  Remember, life is full of choices.  I challenge you today to choose happiness.  Remember, “Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you] watchfully.” 1 Peter 5:7 I pray you have a blessed day!

God bless,

Kristen

]]> http://www.inspiration4u.org/2010/01/living-with-regret/feed/ 6 http://www.inspiration4u.org/2010/01/live-in-the-moment/ http://www.inspiration4u.org/2010/01/live-in-the-moment/#comments Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:55:46 +0000 Kristen http://www.inspiration4u.org/?p=590

prozac1

As the new year approaches, I have to constantly remind myself to live in the moment, not the future.  I get so caught up with my hopes and my dreams of the future that I simply forget to just live in the moment, minute by minute.  I know that it is good to make my plans for the future and to set my goals, but then I must let them go and follow God’s direction for my life.  I must give Him complete control of my steps.  The Bible states, “A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure” (Proverbs 16:9).

God will provide our steps and direction if we simply give Him the control.  If we allow Him to direct our steps, doors will open, opportunities will arise, and mountains will move!  We can set our goals and make our plans, but we must wait on God and His timing for all our plans to come to pass.  We need not worry about tomorrow or when our plans will be accomplished because He will give us just the right time for all our hopes and dreams to be fulfilled.

I love to dream about tomorrow so much that I will simply forget about today.  I will get swept up in worrying about tomorrow or dreaming about it that I will forget about the moment.  We need to simply accept each moment as it comes to us.  A great way to do this is by giving ourselves reality checks.  We need to ask ourselves, Am I accepting this present moment, or am I pretending by escaping into the future?  This is very important for me to do. I have learned that for me, this is one way I numb out my pain.  I numb out any bad feelings I may be having at that particular moment in time.  I escape to dreamland!  I challenge you today to face today.  I challenge you to deal with whatever is holding you back to face your day.  Is their unresolved pain that you need to deal with?  Has someone hurt you?  Have you hurt someone?  Is their some type of grief that you need to face head on?  Do it today so that you can live in the moment and enjoy life.  Joyce Meyer’s states, “The greatest present that God gives us is the “present” moment!  We need to always be living in the moment and enjoying life to its fullest!  This is not always an easy task to accomplish, but remember, with God all things are possible!

Let us constantly remind ourselves to live in the moment, not the future. We can make our plans, but then we must turn them over to God and allow Him to lead us.  We must simply let go and let God.  If we do this, we can enjoy our day! I pray you enjoy your day!

Many blessings,

Kristen

Scripture for the day:

This is the day that the Lord has made.  I will rejoice and be glad in it! (Psalm 118:24)

Additional Scripture:

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?…. Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.  Today’s trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:27, 34)

The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction.  Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Francesco Marino

As we approach 2010, I would like to pass along a prayer of blessing to you.  My father has shared this prayer with me and now I would like to share it with you!  Speak this prayer over your life in the upcoming year and see how God changes your life!

Declaring God’s Blessing For 2010

I choose to initiate God’s promises and blessings for my life in 2010 by declaring them as true.  He is the “God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were” (Romans 4:17, NIV).  The power in a blessing is in speaking it!  Because I believe that God has more wonderful things planned for me than I can even imagine (Ephesians 3:20) for the coming year, today I declare that:

I am blessed with God’s divine purpose and perfect plan for my life.  I am blessed with gifts, God-given abilities and guidance.  I am blessed with strength of character, self-determination and self-control.  I am blessed with family and friends, faith and freedom.  I am blessed with health, happiness, favor and fulfillment.  I am blessed with promotion, protection, prosperity and provision.  I am blessed with spirit of obedience, supernatural success and a positive outlook on life.  I am blessed with a fresh start and a new outlook on life, beginning today.

I am looking forward to the new thing God will do in my life this year.  I choose to let go of the past and get excited about my future because I am blessed!

In Jesus’ name, Amen  (Joel Osteen)

Speak this prayer over your life daily and it will make a difference!  I pray that you have a very blessed New Year my wonderful friends!

]]> http://www.inspiration4u.org/2009/12/a-new-years-blessing/feed/ 4 http://www.inspiration4u.org/2009/12/feeling-gods-love-in-the-pain/ http://www.inspiration4u.org/2009/12/feeling-gods-love-in-the-pain/#comments Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:56:16 +0000 Kristen http://www.inspiration4u.org/?p=555

bela_kiefer

As I was taking my morning love walk with God, I read a devotional that truly made me realize God’s love for me.   This devotional made me stop and think that in the loneliest times of my life, Christ was their loving me.  He is there loving you too! You are not alone, God loves you and is always with you.

A letter from God

“God shows his great love for us in this way:  Christ died for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:8

“Can anything make me stop loving you? God asks.  Watch me speak your language, sleep on your earth, and feel your hurts.  Behold the maker of sight and sound as he sneezes, coughs, and blows his nose.  You wonder if I understand how you feel?  Look into the dancing eyes of the kid in Nazareth; that’s God walking to school. Ponder the toddler at Mary’s table; that’s God spilling his milk.

“You wonder how long my love will last?  Find your answer on a splintered cross, on a craggy hill.  That’s me you see up there, your maker, your God, nail-stabbed and bleeding.  Covered in spit and sin-soaked.

That’s your sin I’m feeling.  That’s your death I’m dying.  That’s your resurrection I’m living.  That’s how much I love you.”  (Max Lucado, Grace for the Moment)

Jesus loves us so very much.  When we are in pain, feeling lonely, feeling depressed, let’s remember the love of Jesus.  He loves us unconditionally.  Nothing can ever take us from His everlasting love. I challenge you to open your bibles and read  how much God truly does love you.  As you read these scriptures, put away the worries of today.  Simply focus on Him and His love.  I promise, if you do, you will feel His love.

God bless,

Kristen

Scripture of the day:

And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is;  and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it.  And so at last you will be filled up with God himself.”  Ephesians 3:17-19

Scriptures:

Deuteronomy 30: 15-20, Psalm 33: 1-11, Psalm 73:21-24, 1 John 5:11-15,

The first year my father passed away, I felt very empty and lonely.  I didn’t know that Jesus was with me, carrying me through the pain.  However, I soon learned that He was with me the whole time, loving me through.

He is our hope.  He is our hope for today and our hope for tomorrow.  If you are feeling sad, lonely, or depressed just look up to Jesus.  Cry out to Him and He will carry you through!  I pray you have a very Merry Christmas!

God Bless,

Kristen

Scripture for the day:
Whether we are high about the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39)

Written November 12, 2007:

As I visited my grandmother-in-law’s home today, who is now in a nursing home, I was reminded of the value of family.   This reminder occurred to me as I walked through her home that is being prepared for an estate sale.  All her possessions now have a price tag on them.  Her pots and pans that she once cooked family meals with now have a price tag.  Her bed that she once slept in also has a price tag.  Sadly, everything in her home has a price tag.

As I walked through her home, I couldn’t help but to think about how this precious home was once full of life, and how it is only full of “stuff” now.  My walk made me think about all the  memories that were made in her home.  We will no longer have the visual reminders that are in and surrounding this home.  We will no longer be able to touch the tree that my husband climbed as a young boy or see the kitchen and living room that our family once gathered in at this small house. How sad is that? How sad that so many Christmas’s, Easters, New Years and other celebrations were spent gathered at the dining room table that is now gone.  The dining room is now filled with just “stuff” to be sold at the sale.

Once there were little feet dancing on the hardwood floors and little babies crawling on it. My husband’s aunt spent her last days at that house dying of breast cancer. Oh, the wonderful days of visiting her at that  house. My mother-in-law grew up in that house. What must she be feeling?

All I know is I have to hold onto God’s love for me and treasure my family everyday. Taking this visit made me realize that I need to treasure my family everyday of my life because one day my house will be empty. One day there will not be little feet dancing on my floors due to the inevitable circumstance of change. One day, it will just be an empty house full of “stuff” instead of laughter. Our family is one of the most important parts of this life and during the hustle and bustle of this holiday season we need to stop and remember that. We need to never take our family for granted even when their driving us crazy!

God bless,

Scripture of the day:

He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:23 (New American Standard Bible)

Short Summary of David and Saul:  In the beginning, Saul liked David very much.  David helped Saul by playing his harp for him.  The music played made a tormenting spirit go away and leave Saul.  This pleased him very much.  Unfortunetly, things began to change and Saul despised David.  David ran away and hid in the wilderness.  It was in this wilderness that Saul hunted for David.  Scripture states, “Saul hunted him day after day, but God didn’t let him be found.”

Footnotes in The Life Recovery Bible:  The wonderful little phrase “but God didn’t let [David] be found [by Saul]” must not be overlooked.  Saul persued David, but God protected, provided for, and preserved David’s life.  During the difficult years of running from Saul, David must have often felt alone and abandoned by God.  But here we are told that God was working to protect David throughout that time.  Even when things look bad for us, God is with us, protecting us in ways we do not even know.  He is indeed worthy of our confidence and trust. (1 Samuel: 14-15)

Friends, God is always with us, fighting our battles for us.  When we are in the wilderness being hunted by our fears, our loneliness, or our depression we can trust in God.  If we make a decision to trust in Him, He will protect us, provide for us and preserve our lives.  God is a good God.  I challenge you to reach out to Him today.  Cry out to Jesus and trust that He is with you.

God bless,

For years, I dreaded having Christmas with my family.  I knew we were going to end up arguing over who’s house to meet at, what time to meet, who was going to cook what, or any other detail of Christmas.  I hated to think about this time of year.  My mother, sister and I would always end up arguing.  It never failed.  Someone would always get their feelings hurt or stomped on and then the arguing would begin.  When Christmas day came and we had our “family” time, one of us was always mad at the other.  We couldn’t enjoy the true meaning of Christmas.  We became so busy worrying about ourselves, that we took our eyes off of why we have Christmas in the first place. 

When we finally decided we would simply forgive and move on, our Christmas became much more enjoyable. I ask you this Christmas season, can you give the gift of forgiveness?  Maybe you need to forgive someone or simply forgive yourself – do it!  You will begin to feel freedom and begin to really enjoy Christmas.  After all, Christmas is a time to celebrate Jesus’ birth.  It is a time to be thankful that He was born and thankful for our families He has blessed us with.  When we make a decision to focus on Him and not us, then Christmas is always a time of joy and happiness.

This Christmas I choose to forgive.  I choose to give the gift of forgiveness.  I choose to not allow bitterness, anger, and hurt to control me and allow me to take my eyes off of Jesus.  What about you?

Let go and Let God!

Many blessings,

Related Blogs:

Freedom in Forgiveness

12 Gifts of Christmas: Forgiveness

Present Peace:  Experience Family Forgiveness this Christmas