by | Faith Lived Out, Life Application
Searching for joy in your life? Feel controlled by your thoughts? Here’s the good news: Finding joy is possible and you DON’T have to be under the constant riducule of your negative thoughts.
Tommy Newberry, author of The 4:8 Principle, says “Your potential for joy is limited only by your level of commitment to think joyful thoughts most of the time.” He gently reminds us that “we are what we think we are.”
With that said, let me ask you a question. Are you ready to change your thought life?
Allow me to introduce The 4:8 Principle Bible Study. My sweet friend, Jennifer White, and myself have both experienced the freedom of changing our thought lives and taking the advantage of the gift of joy God has so graciously given us. Now we want to share with you.
Join us Monday, June 6, as we kick off this life-changing Facebook study.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Join the Facebook group here
- Purchase your copy of The 4:8 Principle book here (I’ve attached the link to Amazon)
- Add the Bible Study button to your blog or website and share with others.
We’re looking forward to sharing God’s joy with you!
by | Faith Lived Out
I heard this song for the first time yesterday and haven’t been able to stop listening. There is so much truth in the words of this song. God is our healer, refuge, fortress, and strength.
Lifting my hands to believe again. I hope you enjoy the song.
What is your favorite worship song?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyYWWKJt-Hs&feature=autoplay&list=PL665C59FFE17C5182&index=28&playnext=7]
by | Faith Lived Out, Life Application
I met a new friend the other day. Her name was Alicia. Her only possessions were a backpack, the clothes on her back, a pair of worn out shoes, her beloved dog Cadillac Jack, and a broken heart.
Alicia is homeless, but I was able to see a faint glimpse of hope in her tear-filled eyes.
From the little amount of time I spent with her, brokenness was unavoidably recognizable. But she was seeking a second chance.
I stood counting my blessings after my encounter with Alicia. Blessed that I have a warm place to sleep every night. Blessed that I do not go hungry. Blessed that friends and family love me. Blessed by how much God has provided my needs. Blessed for the shoes on my feet. Blessed for clothes I stare at in my closet while writing this. Blessed for the electricity that provides the power to write this blog post. Blessed with the laptop that allows me to write. Blessed by the pillow that will hold my head while I sleep tonight. Blessed that I know where I will be sleeping everyday. Blessed by the amount of books setting on my nightstand. Blessed by the pictures of friends and family. You get the picture. I’m pretty danged blessed!
Will you pray with me for Alicia? Pray that she realizes and believes Ephesians 3:16-20. Pray that she realizes how long and wide and deep and high Christ’s love for her is. Pray for new beginnings. Pray for her to accept and receive the love God wants to give her.
Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
Thank you for standing in prayer with me for my friend Alicia.
Are you counting your blessings today?
by | Faith Lived Out
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today’s guest post is from callie newton of all things new.
“Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me and drink.’” -John 7:37
photo credit: creative commons
I spent last weekend in New York City. For a girl who grew up in Springfield, Missouri, walking through Times Square is quite a culture shock! On the first day that we were there we walked a few blocks over from out hotel to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, historically one of the most famous Cathedrals in the United States. It was certainly a sight to behold. The building itself took up several city blocks, so the sheer massiveness of the Cathedral was awe inspiring. The magnitude and detail of the décor, both inside and out was amazing as well. The most fascinating thing about the Cathedral however, was not the building itself, but the people inside.
The diversity of those that were in the building was amazing to me. Every nationality or race you could imagine was represented, as well as every different walk of life. There were tourists, those just curious to take a glance at the building itself. There were business men in suits and ties; there were single moms with three or four kids in tow; there were homeless people just trying to find a warm place to sit out of the rain; there were those their to worship and pray in a quiet place. All the diversity of the world congregated under one roof.
I began to open my eyes and ears. The building itself had lost my attention and it was quickly turned towards the people around me. I watched as an obviously wealthy businessman knelt down to cry out to God in his three piece suit and wing tipped shoes. He was visibly and audibly crying, bowing at the altar. I observed four homeless men in a corner of the building that seemed reserved for them. They laughed and talked like they were old friends who had made a habit of meeting in this corner of the Cathedral for years. I noticed a mother praying over her three children and I also watched as hundreds of curious passerbys walked in and through the Cathedral, jaw dropped in amazement at its grandeur.
I could not get this Cathedral or the people I had seen in it out of my mind the rest of the trip. If this building somehow represents a place where all can come, both the homeless and the high dollar, both the broken and the joyous, both the prayerful worshipper and the curious passerby…if these Cathedral doors are open to all of these no matter race or color…then how much more the heart of Christ? If this Cathedral, built with the thought of Almighty God in mind, leaves its doors open to all who would come to it, then how much more open is the heart of Jesus to all who would come to Him? Jesus said that ANYONE who was thirsty could come to Him and find a drink of water. Was this Cathedral not just a visible example of that invisible Truth?
And, if this is the heart of Christ, that all may come to Him and find His heart open for them to sit and rest and drink, then how much more should our hearts be opened to these as well?
by | Faith Lived Out
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream.”
What a profound statement!
Lately hope seems to be something I have seen more of in my rearview mirror than right in front of me. It seems I have spent more time asking the “why” questions to God rather than holding onto the hope He promises in His Word.
Psalm 33:20 says, We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
Lately for me it’s been more like “I’m tired of waiting. All I have done is wait. My hope is fading and I need your help.”
But once God gets me still enough to listen, I see the hope again. It’s a daily battle to be honest. More like a minute by minute battle. A friend recently told me to take it two minutes at a time. I’m living by her advice and by the powerful Word of my God who promises hope. His promises that say Be still Sundi Jo and know who I am. Put your hope in me. Put your hope in My Word. Put your hope in my unfailing love.
Two minutes at a time. Two minutes at a time.
Tell me about your hope.
by | Faith Lived Out
I walked in my bedroom the other night after an exhausting evening with tears. I have been struggling. Struggling with questions. Wanting understanding. Trying not to make decisions based on feelings, and so much more. I was ready for bed. Then I looked over at my bulletin board full of pictures and there was a bright pink note card pinned up. I had forgotten all about it until I saw the handwriting, and it took me back to the day that card first made me smile.
My sisters and I were sitting around the living room at the Table Rock Freedom Center and we each had to draw names. Then we had to write an encouraging note to the person who’s name we drew. Well, Amy got my name. I smile as I write this. Amy was a sharpening tool for me. We butted heads a lot. We fought. We cried. We laughed. We were/are family.
Reading these words after a hard evening brought a smile to my soul:
The creator of the Universe formed you. He created your heart and soul, and your emotions. You were created intentionally. I encourage you to live with intention. Allow your inner beauty to shine. God gave you gentleness and tenderness – share it – there are so many people who need it. God has a perfect plan for your life Sundi Jo. Maybe a mate. Maybe a ministry. Maybe children. Maybe books. No matter what, trust Him and believe in yourself. You are smart, funny, intuitive, compassionate, giving, persevering, and strong. You are not a product of your past or of abuse. You are a created daughter of God. You are a product of His love and your determination and hard work. Keep your eyes on Heaven! I love you. – Amy
I wanted to share her words to me with you, in case you need the same encouragement. Because He too created YOU, and believe it or not, He did it intentionally. He has a perfect plan for your life. Let’s believe it together.
What are you believing today?
Searching for joy in your life? Feel controlled by your thoughts? Here’s the good news: Finding joy is possible and you DON’T have to be under the constant riducule of your negative thoughts.