Jesus Calling Dec 31st

I cannot believe this year is ending tonight. But I am totally ready for a new year and another fresh start. I'm ready for new things to happen, people to change, and to keep on doing good in the world. It just feels weird to say "2013." New year's is a time that always feels strange to me. It's like we are just moving along, the days are the same as "last year." The world is always changing, but coming into the new year, nothing much changes. (If that makes sense.) But it is like it is a whole new time. It's just a tradition I guess.

I don't understand why we have to wait for the new year to make changes within ourselves and our routines. Why not change the day you realize you need to? 

Peace. I pray that you feel God's Peace in this coming new year. I pray that you will realize how much you really need Him in your life. I pray that you figure out that holding on to Him is truly the only way to get through anything. You and Him fit together like a perfect puzzle. You need Him, and He can fulfill those needs for you. You are empty. He is abundant. 

Hope on with Him and go for a ride, give Him a chance this year. Trust me, your life will change if you give thing to Him, trust Him, and just hold on.

Isaiah 9:6 (NLT)
For a child is born to us,

    a son is given to us.

The government will rest on his shoulders.

    And he will be called:

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

2 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT)

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

John 14:26-27 (NLT)

But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Jesus Calling Dec 30th

A new year is about to begin…any new year's resolutions? How bout a resolution to spend x number of quiet minutes with God each day? Or perhaps starting a new devotion? Or maybe something like improving the way you treat other people or notice the unnoticed?

Whatever your resolution might be, take it seriously. Don't just let it be like 85-90% of the resolutions made by people each year. Lets be realistic, how many of you have actually fulfilled at least 1 resolution ever? A few years? Each year? I know that the most important resolution that I ever made and kept was doing this Jesus Calling Devotion every single day this year. I've never kept up with a devotion like this, and it has been one of the most helpful and radical changes I have made for myself in my life. The best change I could have made. It helps me to start the day off right. It really just changes your perspective on a whole lot of things and how you are to be living. Now that I know I can keep up with a devotion every day of the year I can't wait to start my new devotion in 2 days! It has been a truly exciting change in my life. And really this year has been a longggg year. And I've gone through some pretty tough things, but that is why God has helped me stay on track with this devotion. It was part of His plan, so that I would come to know even more how great and awesome He is! Though it has been a tough year, it was all worth the while because I have seen and experienced some of the coolest things ever! 

He is always leading us, and now He is preparing us for the new year. Grow closer to Him, and you will see the real you He made you to be come out and blossom. You will experience so many new, different, and awesome things. He will totally open your eyes if you let Him. Its all part of the journey, holding on that is, and you will one day see the benefits of it.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

1 John 4:7-8 (NLT)

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

John 15:4 (NLT)

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

Jesus Calling Dec 29th

Psalm 40:4 (NLT)
Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,

    who have no confidence in the proud

    or in those who worship idols.

Psalm 56:3-4 (NLT)

But when I am afraid,

    I will put my trust in you.

I praise God for what he has promised.

    I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?

    What can mere mortals do to me?

Trust. Its all about trust. I know I've said it a lot since I've started this blog, but it is so important not to forget. We go through so much head-butting in this world each and every day that sometimes we forget to just lay it down and trust God with it. We forget that its that easy, yet some how it is difficult. We try and try to fight ourselves, realize we need to trust, then often drift away again. Life is just like that, but we have to train ourselves to put this trust into action. We can't just keep butting heads with problems and people here on earth, we have to go to the one that is most trustworthy of all, because it will always bring you great joy. So there is no reason to be afraid. No reason to be struggling with things. Just go to God, He is the one in charge, He knows that you are struggling and need help. He is always there to help you, but it all comes back down to trust. 

Psalm 62:8 (NLT)

I praise God for what he has promised.

    I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?

    What can mere mortals do to me?

Isaiah 26:3-4 (NLT)

You will keep in perfect peace

    all who trust in you,

    all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Trust in the Lord always,

    for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

Jesus Calling Dec 28th

Give Me Your Eyes - Brandon Heath

Psalm 46:1-3 (NLT)
God is our refuge and strength,

    always ready to help in times of trouble.

So we will not fear when earthquakes come

    and the mountains crumble into the sea.

Let the oceans roar and foam.

    Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! 

You don't need to be afraid of anything. Anything at all. God is all powerful. Always there to help us when we are stuck. Just call out His name and He is there already. The media just twists everything, we all know that. But then they also show mostly only the negative stuff. What good does that do anyone. It only pulls people down. We are to be trying to build people up, giving them hope for the future. Though there is little to no hope for them solely here on earth, that gives you an opportunity to introduce them to God. This negativity on the media can be an opportunity for us to spread the word of God to those who need it. I know some of us are still focusing on getting yourself on track, but you can still be a light into the world. As you are getting closer and closer to Him through spending time with Him, that gives you even more of a chance to share with others what He is doing in your life. He will begin to open your eyes helping you to see the amazing things He is doing in the world. The miracles and beauties He is working on everyday that the media does not see. You can grow in Him and be a light to the world.

Psalm 89:15 (NLT)

Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,

    for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

Jesus Calling Dec 27th

God is always trying to prepare you and help you be ready for what is ahead. Some people let Him, others choose to walk alone. The time you take to sit still in His Presence is time that He is strengthening you. When we get busy we need to spend even more time with Him, yet many of us ignore that fact. A lot of people think they can live without that time spent with God, and its not true. Those people just move along on their own without the strength of God. We only have so much strength alone, and you can only get so far on that. Eventually you will find yourself on your knees begging God for help. So that does not happen all you have to do is spend some time with God every day. Yes, you will still have ups and downs in your life, but you are much less likely to trip and fall in the ditch rather than hoping over it. When you walk with Him and spend quiet time with Him that helps you to take life at a slower pace, never rushing anything, because you're on God's time.

So just think about your two choices. Walk alone, become weak, and eventually fall or walk with Him and remain strong in Him.

Isaiah 64:4 (NLT)
For since the world began,

    no ear has heard

and no eye has seen a God like you,

    who works for those who wait for him!

John 15:5 (NLT)

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

Psalm 36:9 (NLT)

For you are the fountain of life,

    the light by which we see.

Jesus Calling Dec 26th

1 John 4:15-18 (NLT)

All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and got to spend it with their families! I hope you also kept in mind the real reason we celebrate Christmas. 

God never stops giving to us. He never stops blessing us with love and mercy. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can stop Him from loving you or make Him love you any more or any less. His love is the most, the best, and the perfect love. It is so much love that is hard for us to understand the amount, but that is beside the point, you are to know that He loves you more than you can ever imagine…which is a whole lot for sure!! His love will never change. 

We however change; and our alertness and receptiveness of His love changes. Sometimes when we mess up, we feel like we don't deserve His love, so we draw away from God thinking that it is the right thing to do, but He is not loving you any less. He just wants you to come back closer to Him, He wants to hold you in His arms and love you. For you are His child, and He wants to comfort you. So next time you mess up, do not draw away from Him, draw even nearer to Him so that He can cover you in His love.

Deuteronomy 33:27 (NLT)

The eternal God is your refuge,

    and his everlasting arms are under you.

He drives out the enemy before you;

    he cries out, ‘Destroy them!’

Psalm 13:5 (NLT)

But I trust in your unfailing love.

    I will rejoice because you have rescued me.

Christmas Eve 2012

The day before Christmas. Christmas eve. The night that Santa comes. The last day you have to finish up your shopping for tomorrow. Maybe traveling. Planning. Cleaning. Baking. Cooking. Wrapping. Making sure everything is just right. But wait, why are you doing all this? Why are you all tense and stressed over this planning? … What is this season and holiday about again? 

Let us not forget the true reason for the season here in this last day of preparation. God formed a child within Mary, a 14 year old girl who trusted God with all of this and all that was to come ahead. And then she had Jesus in a stable with just Joseph and some animals, no experience there to help her. What did she know about all this? Nothing. She just trusted God. And aside from the fact that this story is about the birth of the guy who saved us from ourselves, its a super neat story because of Mary. Why can't we all be more like Mary? She openly trusted in God with everything that was ahead, and in my personal opinion, she had a lot more on her plate than any of us do with Christmas planning. So I think we can all just put down what we are doing at this point and stop worrying because think about how not that big of a deal it is. If you annually celebrate Christmas in a stressful way because you're so tense, you're missing out on a whole lot and you're missing the real point. It's not about the planning and getting ready, especially if it takes your focus off of Jesus and the importance of this time of year. 

Reevaluate what you're doing right now and if it is truly important to be stressing over. 

Refocus your eyes on the real important things here. And don't forget that even though you might have 10-15 or more people coming over to your house later today or tomorrow or sometime that it isn't worth the stress you're putting yourself through. It isn't healthy. Just let it go.

Psalm 90:2 (NLT)
Before the mountains were born,

    before you gave birth to the earth and the world,

    from beginning to end, you are God.

Colossians 1:27 (NLT)

For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

Colossians 3:15 (NLT)

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.