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2020 - Year in Review Isaiah 60:1 tells us to "Arise, Shine for our light has come, the glory of the Lord rises upon us." I love this verse, it's one of my favorites. I don't know about you but 2020 has been a challenging year like no other that I've ever experienced. But we have the hope of Jesus, no matter what challenges we face today or in the future. I am blessed with a wonderful family and great friends - I am thankful and grateful!  Job 3:25 reminds us that what we believe draws what we believe to us.  So what scripture are you standing on and believing God for?  God constantly reminds me that He will never leave me or abandon me; to be strong and have courage. So to Arise that means I have to get up, keep moving forward and put my trust in God no matter what. His mercies are new every morning - He gives them generously over and over again.  God is faithful and His faithfulness never ends! His promises are  Yes  and  Amen . For this I am grateful! Thank you

“Christmas is a season of not only rejoicing, but of reflection.” — Winston Churchill    “Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.” — Charles M. Schulz  The most powerful thing we can do to keep our hearts alive and thriving year round is to cultivate a heart of gratitude. St. Francis of Assisi said, “It is in giving that we receive.” When we give, we actually receive. We don’t have to wait until the Christmas season to make a difference in someone’s life. When we open our palms up to Heaven and release the grip on the things we tend to idolize, we become a conduit that God uses to impact others. What if the blessings we receive on earth were meant to be turned around to bless others? So…   Write the note. Help the friend. Send the text. Visit the sick. Serve the Church. Give the flowers. Plan the dinner. Donate the money. Buy the gift.   Whatever method you use to bring intentionality to your day, use it. If you’re a calendar keeper, choose a

  In Everything   Give Thanks   “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)   Reasons we can be thankful in this hard season? A greater sense of His faithfulness. His Word tells us, “Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies” (Psalm 36:5, NIV). A richer understanding of His peace. Since God’s in charge, and we are not, we can let go of our anxious thoughts and rest in Him. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, NIV). A constant assurance of His goodness. Because His plans for us are always good and always purposeful, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13, NIV). A deeper dependence on His presence. When I’m on my knees, He meets me without fail. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Colossians 4:2, NIV

  Our Sacrifice of Praise.   Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of  our  lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.   Hebrews 13:15-16   The writer to the Hebrews explains several essentials for proper praise.   · Praise that pleases God is offered   by Him , that is  by  Jesus Christ, on the ground of His righteousness and pleasing God.   · Praise that pleases God is offered  continually , so that we are always praising Him.   · Praise that pleases God is a  sacrifice of praise , in that it may be costly or inconvenient.   · Praise that pleases God is  the fruit of our lips , more than just thoughts directed towards God. It is spoken out unto the Lord, either is prose or in song. “What proceeds from the lips is regarded as  fruit , which reveals the character of its source, as the fruit of a tree reveals the nature of the tree

  Love   your   neighbor  – It’s not a suggestion The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command : “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Throughout the Bible, in both the Old and New Testament scriptures it tell us, yes it even commands us as Christ-Followers, God’s People, Women of God and God’s Girls, to Love Our Neighbor as ourselves. Matthew 22:39 and Mark 12:31 are just a couple. It’s easy to think that religious ceremony, going to church, devotion and Bible Study are more important than love for God and our neighbor, but it isn’t the case. A thousand empty burst offerings or meaningless good faith gestures do not mean more to God than a single act of love done in His Name. God didn’t say it would always be easy but He does promise to never leave us or abandon us. We can do so much more in Him and in His strength than we are able

  Love Your Neighbor (Matthew 22:39)   What does it mean to “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself?” It’s easy to say “I love the Lord,” or I love Jesus;” or even to love and take care of ourselves. Some days it’s hard to love my neighbor when my neighbor doesn’t love me. When social media posts of people you considered friends are so hateful and divisive. But who REALLY is our Neighbor ? Jesus has commanded us to love each other, in the same way we take care of ourselves and are concerned about our own interests. It means we should take care and have concern for the interests of others. Respect, honor and dignity. If the love of God is real in our lives, it will be shown by the presence of love for God and for others. In Genesis chapter 1, God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” God created all of us – mankind – the same; we are made in the image of God, His likeness, His representative. Even though we come from different backgrounds, God’s command is, “

Where's Your Fear?   We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts (1 Thessalonians 2:4, NIV).   A major snare for many people is their fear of other people. So many people fail to make decisions or take action because they are overly concerned about what family, friends, workmates, or peers might think about them. Essentially, in such moments they are more concerned about what people think than what God thinks.   But we cannot be people-pleasers and God-pleasers at the same time. To live in obedience to God, we’ll have to be okay with disappointing some people and making decisions they don’t understand. Our fear of God must become bigger than our fear of man, and no amount of temporal satisfaction or approval from others is worth compromising the destiny for which we have been created.   Together, let’s determine to please God more than each other or ourselves!  

LIFE IN THE SPIRIT One of the things that God promises us is a new life. That’s a great promise, but what does it actually mean? Well, imagine that you’ve been in jail for the last twenty years. Finally, the day comes for your release. You step outside with fresh clothes into the bright sunlight, and finally, the jailhouse door clangs shut behind you for the last time.   Going from captivity to freedom on the one hand would of course be wonderful, but coming to grips with this new-found freedom would take time.   In this devotional series, we’ve spent time looking at the central problem in our lives: sin. God dealt with sin so decisively on the cross, when Jesus died a brutal death for our sins. That tells you the priority God puts on dealing with this problem!   But stepping into this grace is a bit like stepping out of that jail. We have to come to grips with our new life, and make sure we don’t end up in the prison again. How do we do this?    Well, Jesus didn’

Juneteenth, Friday, June 19, 2020 (also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Liberation Day) is an unofficial American holiday and an official Texas state holiday, celebrated annually on the 19th of June in the United States to commemorate Union army general Gordon Granger's reading of federal orders in the city of Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, proclaiming all slaves in Texas were now free. Although the Emancipation Proclamation had formally freed them almost two and a half years earlier, and the American Civil War had largely ended with the defeat of the Confederate States in April, Texas was the most remote of the slave states, with a low presence of Union troops, so enforcement of the proclamation had been slow and inconsistent. Celebrations date to 1866, at first involving church-centered community gatherings in Texas. It spread across the South and became more commercialized in the 1920's and 1930's, often centering on a food festival. During the Civil Rights

  There are a lot of raw emotions over the last several days over the death of George Floyd.   There is a long history of racial inequality and racial unrest in this country. Our world continues to bear the weight of a global pandemic and the pain of racism. We witnessed a life taken by someone paid to protect him.   Silence damns us all.   COVID-19 is not a red or blue issue, it’s a human issue.   Racism is not a red or blue issue, it’s a human issue.   The financial crisis is not a red or blue issue, it’s a human issue.   Police brutality is not a red or blue issue, it’s a human issue.   Oxygen is not a red or blue issue, it’s a human issue.   There is a difference between peaceful demonstrations & rioting and looting. There are five freedoms outlined in the First Amendment are: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to assembly and the right to petition the government.   In no way do I support rioting, violence a

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEMORIAL DAY AND VETERANS DAY? On both Memorial Day and Veterans Day, it’s customary to spend time remembering and honoring the countless veterans who have served the United States throughout the country’s history. However, there is a distinction between the two holidays: Memorial Day  commemorates the men and women who died while in the military service of their country, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. In other words, the purpose of Memorial Day is to memorialize the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.  We spend time remembering those who lost their lives and could not come home, reflecting on their service and why we have the luxury and freedom that we enjoy today. We might consider how we can support and safeguard their grieving families and loved ones who are left behind.   Veterans Day  is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL who served—in wartime or peacetime—regardl

“Today is Good Friday. We remember that Jesus suffered for us on the cross.” My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? 
 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent. Psalm 22:1-2 While this Psalm was certainly true of King David in his life experience, it - like many Psalms - is even truer of Jesus the Messiah than of David. Jesus deliberately chose these words to describe His agony on the cross (Matthew 27:46). Good Friday is a day of remembrance and reflection that our flesh can’t possibly comprehend. Our holy God hung on a human torture and execution tool. On that day He was still fully God and yet He was also fully human… so His words of forgiveness, promise, protection, provision, agony, human need, completion, and consecration are that much more profound. When Jesus died on the cross, he removed the barrier that existed between

How Do We Respond We as Christians are not to live in fear, regardless of our circumstances. The coronavirus reminds us that there are indeed some things beyond our control. It’s an invitation to remember that our times are in God’s hands—that hasn’t changed. The news is swirling with accounts concerning the coronavirus. So many are sick, some have died, and all are impacted by the resultant events in their local communities. God promises to be a safe refuge for us in times of trouble. Psalm 46 begins, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.” The Lord is our strength who will never abandon us. We may not understand why things happen, but we can always trust that God will sustain us. Praying for each of you to have calm hearts and confidence in our Great God who is in TOTAL control - who reigns SOVEREIGN over every single de

You Are a Generation Changer “And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”  (Esther 4:14, ESV). You and I are created to be generation changers. This about it. Jesus didn’t die so we could hang on until the rapture and try to do our best until we get to Heaven. There’s a reason He put you on this earth, and it’s to make a difference in your world! God has called you, chosen you, anointed you, and appointed you for such a time as this!

Nobody like you  “ You are the Author, the Creator of it all. You stand alone.” One of the most important facets in our relationship with Jesus is to give Him praise. It’s part of why in many churches around the world we spend at least a portion of the service singing Jesus’ praises through music. Sometimes those praises speak to the goodness of God the father, or Jesus our savior. We praise Holy Spirit for being on our side, or God for his unstoppable might. In the bridge of “Nobody Like You” we give praise to Jesus by recognizing that He is set apart in perfection. And while we recognize that there are indeed kings and rulers here on Earth, NONE of them are King above Jesus Christ. He is king above all. In the same way, there are beautifully built thrones inside of amazing structures all around the world, but all of them are lower than the throne Jesus sits upon. As the author of our salvation and One with God, Jesus’ name is higher than any other name.  The thing about au