Tag: hope

Personalizing My Faith

If anyone gets to know me very well one of the first things they’d probably note is that I like things to be simple and make sense. And when something goes against that or I don’t understand, I’ll problem-solve to understand or fix it as best I can. (This is probably a good indicator of control-freak behavior.😅)

So let me explain what happened recently…

I was trying to simplify my phone—get rid of extra things I no longer needed on it. When I went into the phone settings and discovered (under my Apple ID) that there were several former phones of mine still listed from the past five or so years I decided I’d ‘simply’ delete them. To me it seemed reasonable to have only my current phone connected to my Apple ID. So off went two or three old phones and when I came to the listing that read IOS (and whatever else after it) I thought, “well I have no idea what this one is, don’t recognize the name, out it goes!!!”

Within seconds my current phone, as I held it in my hands, began progressively and ambitiously deleting. And there was not a thing I could do to stop it!!!!

My phone was almost instantly back to fresh, right out of the box, factory mode.

“Okay! Easy!” I thought to myself, “I’ll just reload it by inserting my Apple ID password and everything will flood back in.”

However, thinking I knew my password after three different tries, Apple locked me out! For security reasons! For two weeks!! Not even an Apple representative could override my issue even though I had backup verification methods.

I’d love to report that I dealt with this like a sweet, mature Christian gal—but far from it. I was so irritated, realizing I had none of my contacts, no email, or apps, no iCloud, and all 6,000 plus pics gone. Basically I had a working phone but with absolutely no personalized settings.

I did soon discover though that since I knew passwords to my email, WordPress and some other things I use, that I could still access them after bringing them up through Google. In the end it worked out fine but felt inconvenient and wasn’t my typical, simple style of doing things. First-world problems, I know.

I finally was offered to reset my Apple ID password on Wednesday (after the two weeks) and wasted no time in doing so and am happy to say all is back in working order on my phone.

I share this because I actually hadn’t realized how personalized my phone is until this happened. Over the years of having an iPhone I’ve been able to choose which apps to have or not have on my phone, which numbers to save with a name or not, and so on.

We’re ridiculously, nearly pathetically, spoiled when it comes to our phones. We personalize them in the way we best see fit. And most of us probably take this for granted until things go haywire.

I always try and pull a life lesson from my experiences—the good ones and the bad ones and here’s what I’ve reflected on through this particular one…

As a Christian, what I put into my faith journey is up to me. I can choose to draw closer to the Lord or on the flip side lazily trail behind. I decide if I’m going to read my Bible this day or let it sit on the table collecting dust. I pick if I’ll pray before a meal or let my “hanger” take over—with me plunging a fork into my meal before even considering a word of thanks. Reaching out to others with love and care, that’s also my own choice.

Just like I choose how I want to personalize my phone, every day I get to choose how I’m going to personalize my faith.

And if I’m honest sometimes I really stink at it. There are times when worry or fear overtake my thought patterns and prayer is far from my arsenal of choice. On numerous occasions, my impatience has resulted in un-concentrated Bible reading rather than soaking in the heartfelt words of Jesus. When I initially chatted with the Apple representative over my own phone foul-up, he experienced Raging Alicia rather than Compassionate Alicia.

These things mold my faith journey for better or worse. All of it matters and makes for how I’m choosing to personalize my faith.

Just like my phone went to factory reset settings so it will be when Jesus’ returns to call home those who have placed their faith in Him. For some, there will be a time when it’ll be too late to decide to follow Jesus. Personalizing our life with Him as Lord and Savior will have made an extraordinary difference. For the ones who haven’t chosen to place their faith in Him, their lives will be as useless as an old iPhone with no identity or personalization linked to Him.

I’m reminded of Jesus’ words regarding the servant in Matthew 25:21a, ‘well done, good and faithful servant!…’

As Christians we’re servants of God, and it’s absolutely our choice how we’ll personalize our faith. It doesn’t always look simple, the way I usually prefer, in fact it’s often times the opposite BUT through Jesus it will always make sense as we trust His leading.

Are we personalizing our faith and pressing into Jesus in a position where we’ll one day hear, ‘well done, good and faithful servant?!’

Lessons From Damar Hamlin

Great post written by Alan who blogs at Fuel For The Race …couldn’t pass up reblogging this one!

Photo by Jean-Daniel Francoeur on Pexels.com

Lessons From Damar Hamlin

https://fuelfortheraceblog.wordpress.com/2023/01/10/lessons-from-damar-hamlin/
— Read on fuelfortheraceblog.wordpress.com/2023/01/10/lessons-from-damar-hamlin/

Happy New Year! And This Snow, just wow!!

This morning, my neck of the woods woke up to eight inches of snow. I know it was eight inches because my dear husband literally took a tape measure outback to precisely check for himself!!

We typically only end up with a dusting to a few inches when it snows; so this amount of snow is a rare treasure for us—well maybe not for those who aren’t a fan. I’m loving the beauty of today’s winter wonderland though, it’s the messy roads in the days to come I don’t really favor however!

Beautiful, pure-white snow.

Isaiah’s message of warning to a rebellious nation of Israelites comes on behalf of the Lord in Isaiah 1:18-20 and has this to say:

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

(Bold and italics added by me for the lesson)

Boy if those words don’t sound like we’re just as in need of that warning (today) as Israel and Judah were all those years ago!!!

There are two “ifs” to choose from in that piece of scripture, and depending on the “if” chosen the results are drastically different.

In verse 20b, choosing the second if, consisting of resistance and rebellion, would leave a person in the permanency or stain of deep scarlet-red sin…devoured by the sword.

But by choosing the first if in verse 19, the crimson color that once stood out so boldly from sin, would be entirely replaced with a pure and calm white—the color of snow or wool. Choosing this if requires willingness and obedience but leads to satisfaction or a reward given by the Lord, “you will eat the good things of the land.”

This beautiful, pure in color, dazzling in the sunlight, white snow outside my house windows sets the stage for the reminder that I want to willingly and obediently stand in the presence of God’s desire daily—to “eat the good things of the land,” as quoted.

The message given in Isaiah chapter one—sin cleansed white as snow—was as much for the people of that time as it is for us now. Jesus’ sacrificial blood shed on the cross and his resurrection washed away those crimson colored sin-stains we once carried; and though we’ll continually sin (this side of Heaven) Jesus makes those sins white as snow as we place our faith in Him, seek forgiveness as needed, and remain in unity with Him through a healthy relationship.

Choosing and following Jesus, points us to choose that first “if” in Isaiah 1:19—may we be ever thankful, never taking for granted, but instead praising God for the removal of permanent crimson stain and the washing and cleanness of our sins, white as snow, all because of His magnificent love for us.

Blessings for a Thankful and Healthy 2023!!!

BE STILL

Recently I attended a weekend youth retreat as a leader with some of the junior high kids from our church youth group. The weekend was geared toward the words ‘BE STILL’ and served as a reminder to intentionally take time out of our day from this crazy, busy life and ‘be still’ so we can hear from Jesus.

And the kids loved it…as well as the leaders.

I always look forward to the opportunity of attending these youth retreats because I can get as much out of it as the kids, my heart really soaked in this particular topic.

Here’s a list of scripture we read and studied that paired up with our weekend focus:

1 Kings 19:9-15

Exodus 1-6:13, 12:1-28

Psalm 46

John 10:1-18

Mark 4:35-41

John 15:1-18

Our very own youth pastor led one of the afternoon breakout sessions sharing tools to help us connect with God:

  • Start the day with quiet time.
  • Be alone in our quiet time.
  • Read scripture and listen to what God is speaking through His word.
  • Spend time in prayer, also pausing in the midst to hear from the Lord.

He also shared a free app called the One Minute Pause App by John Eldridge (New York Times Best Selling Author of Wild at Heart and Captivating). It encourages stillness and “the simple practice of releasing everything to God, restoring your union with God and inviting him to fill you.”

There’s soothing music, scripture, commentary with words, and beautiful scenery for each meditation.

App example

It’s super simple to navigate and allows you to choose from one of the main pauses offering different lengths of time; or as a huge bonus there’s a 30 days to resilience program “designed to lead us on a path of supernatural resilience—to recover our joy, strengthen our hearts, and thrive through the challenges of modern day life. Each day has two 8 to 10 minute sessions, designed for the morning and evening and grouped into six 5-day modules. Each session is part soul care, part reflection, and part contemplative prayer.”

After downloading the app I have yet to miss a day of connecting to God in this way and wanted to share it with those of you reading this blog.

Main screen app example
Main screen app example
App example

P.S. Our youth kids have really enjoyed the app and right before our small group discussion time starts on Wednesday evenings when we meet, I’ll typically go through a three or five minute pause (using the app) before we get into our lesson questions—they look forward to this time, it helps them settle and connect with God before we start on deep questions and discussions.

Do your heart a favor and download it, tell me what you think, and share it with others. I really hope you love it and I look forward to getting feedback!!

Below is a link that will take you directly to the app and gives the option for Apple or Android devices.

One Minute Pause App and 30 days to resilience

As always sweet weekend blessings!!

Alicia ❤️

Thanksgiving Gratitude

Thanksgiving in the U.S. is right around the corner, and with it comes the tendency to oftentimes jump into overdrive taking inventory of our blessings! I never want it to be the stereotypical thing for me or my family to do so I’ve tried to be better about counting blessings of thankfulness YEAR-ROUND instead.

Research shows that when we concentrate on an attitude of gratitude, giving notice and calling out the things we’re thankful for it leads to:

Growing our relationship with Jesus, overall happiness, better mental health, positive relationships, higher energy levels, improved self-esteem, mercy and grace for ourself and others, creates positive thought patterns, lowers stress and anxiety, plus it causes us to be present in the moment.

Recently I picked up a small, blank notebook from the store to serve as a gratitude journal and have been journaling little notes of thankfulness. I’ve not made it an everyday thing at this point but I aim to. There’s a ton of good resources on Pinterest or Google to spur ideas on gratitude topics, including sentence starters.

Gratitude encourages us to look at the glass half full rather than half empty. It takes practice like any good habit but it is achievable and so worth the effort!!

“Gratitude can boost neurotransmitter serotonin and activate the brain stem to produce dopamine. Dopamine is our brain’s pleasure chemical. The more we think positive, grateful thoughts, the healthier and happier we feel.” Cerebral Cortex

I’m subbing today so my time is short while my class is at music, but wanted to share with you a poem my youngest daughter wrote. I’ll leave you with her words as a Thanksgiving blessing and also share a picture of our planters on our front porch. I couldn’t stand seeing them empty during these cold months so I dressed them up for fall and am already looking forward to changing them up for Christmas! I’ll maybe do a DIY as I decorate them for Christmas!

Until next time, sweet autumn blessings and a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

THANKSGIVING

Leaves fall red, brown, yellow.
In the distance neighbors say hello.

Turkey in hand,
open the door to smells so grand.

Sit down in your place,
and now let’s say grace.


—Mckenzie W.

Autumn Blessings in Photos

I put my little five speed Jeep in reverse, checked that all was clear and pushed down on the gas pedal quickly to back away from the curb after finishing a recent counseling session.

If any staff at the architecture business located next door have ever watched me pull in or out of the hillside parking space each week they’re probably relieved I’m seeking therapy because my skills with driving this Jeep are about as unreliable as my emotions sometimes.

Boy it’s been a year! I started counseling back in January after realizing my childhood trauma had some explaining to do, what I didn’t know was that it actually had A LOT of explanation into the thoughts and choices I’ve made throughout my entire life.

In faith, through Jesus, I might be brave enough to finally say that I’m (really, actually) in the process of truly overcoming!! It’s the most scrutinizing process I’ve ever endured, but my counselor is amazing and God is using her to the fullest. My husband has been a solid encourager, along with my momma. I am so blessed and I can feel God’s presence at work. (Bare with me though as my blog posts may continue to be hit and miss for a while.)

Leaving Monday’s therapy session, I felt a spurring for some guilt-free me-time so I set out to purposely photograph the changing of the fall leaf colors. It felt refreshing to experience awareness in nature’s surroundings. My little iPhone has continued to help capture this week’s beauty, filling an abundance of thankfulness within my heart all the while.

Nebraska may not offer the warm, playful amber hues of the aspens in Colorado during this time of year, but nevertheless, we definitely have some reminders of our own kind of gratifying autumn…

Enjoy the upcoming weekend! Sweet blessings!❤️

-Alicia

Quenching Thirst

Hey there!! I realize my posts have been few and far between this year but right now I have time to write, along with a message of encouragement so I’m gonna take advantage of it!!

In our neck of the woods I am surprised camels haven’t shown up with the drought we’re experiencing! The heat from the sun has poured down heavily and meanwhile rain has been almost nonexistent. Crops, cows, and farmers would quickly attest to that!!

My own front yard which consists of what is typically hardy buffalo grass has even felt the sting of a dry, sweltering summer.

Buffalo grass usually looks after itself and can withstand warm temperatures with little watering required and still maintain a nice, healthy, pale green color. My husband and I noticed recently, however, that even our once strong grass was now fading to golden hues, with curled edges and in some areas there was nothing but large patches of dirt where grass once grew.

We needed to quickly improvise if we were gonna keep up on curb appeal with our yard. A trip to Ace ensued where we purchased a standing, rotation sprinkler and once we were home we set it up and turned it on immediately! No joke within one watering session there was a dramatically, noticeable difference. That ground along with its sprigs of grass was thirsty. Very thirsty. And it soaked up that longing for water while almost simultaneously producing fresh, green nourished results in return.

What a spiritual lesson in the midst…

As Christians we experience seasons of what feels like our own personal or internal drought. Jobs, relationships, health…they don’t always measure up to our expectations and therefore can leave us feeling depleted or dehydrated. At times, rather than reaching for Jesus (the only way we can quench our desperate position) we instead stay dormant much like my buffalo grass.

To overcome, action must take place!! My buffalo grass wouldn’t get better on its own without intervention. The same is true for us…

Bibles:

We must reach for our Bibles. Open them and immerse ourselves in God’s word and believe His truths for our good and His glory.

Prayer:

Just like the sprinkler in my yard is hooked up to its life source to replenish our buffalo grass…we have the greatest life source of all, Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within us—to guide, remind, comfort and direct—and to connect us with the Father as we communicate our prayers and praises.

Music:

We have the blessing of music and the ability to saturate our heart, soul, and ears with rich, meaningful worship of our Savior—filling us with amazing, satisfying hope. Let’s tune in!

Fellowship:

We surround ourselves around likeminded Christians…none of that lukewarm stuff, that’s where the weeds have a chance to overtake…we need the fellowship of true, authentic Christ followers to spur us along for encouragement and growth in our faith!

Everyday we should thirst for Jesus’ overflowing goodness.

We are most certainly capable of staying spiritually hydrated when we make a conscious effort to keep inventory of our current condition and then follow up with action that draws hope from Jesus, the source of Living Water!! (Read John ch.4)

Soak Him up sweet friends!! Blessings this weekend!!

❤️❤️❤️

An Inexpensive and Thoughtful Gift Idea

I hope your summer, so far, has been an enjoyable one! Ours is flying by yet I feel like we haven’t been terribly crazy-busy so I’m not sure how the time is moving this quick!?

We went on vacation a few weeks ago to Moab, Utah and spent a lot of our time hiking which was amazing and so beautiful.

My girls had 4-H this past week and brought home grand champion and reserve champion ribbons for their dogs. Paige, our oldest daughter, showed her chicken and rabbits and also received grand champion and reserve champion ribbons for them.

The rest of our summer memories will consists of our church campout at the lake this weekend, a youth group trip that I’ll go on as a sponsor, a few days at church camp, and then VBS. School will start mid-August for us and will be here before we know it!!

Today, on the blog, I’m veering away from my usual “life lesson post” and wanted to share an affordable and creative gift-giving idea with you instead…

A few weeks ago I got together with some friends as one of them was soon-to-be moving away. We wanted to celebrate her and wish her the best so we met up for Mexican food and fellowship!

I love gift giving, I’m not great at receiving gifts BUT love giving them. In my effort of being thrifty I wanted to come up with an inexpensive but thoughtful gift for my friend who was moving.

Not really sure how I came up with the idea, guess it was the Holy Spirit’s prompting, but I was lead to the ‘salt and light’ verses and came up with a gift idea that paired up with that piece of scripture.

Biblegateway.com

I bought a garden light for the encouragement that we are to let our light shine, and a package of sunflowers seeds to represent that we are the salt of the earth.

I also threw in a candy bar and pop, just for fun, as a reminder to ‘stay sweet’.

Because the cost was reasonable (under $3 per bag) I ended up giving each of my friends one of these gift bags when we met up for supper to show my appreciation for them.

It’s no secret that the cost of EVERYTHING is going up these days. Groceries, fuel, insurance…all have seen an increase.

It’s frustrating but it’s a part of life right now. God’s word, however, reminds us to not worry—that we need only trust in Him. (Matthew 6:25-34)

Gift giving is something God has put on my heart as a way to encourage others and I’m not about to allow a harsh economy to step in the way of that.

After putting these together I was thinking of other scriptures and gifts that would go well together:

flower seed packets, a watering can, and gloves

“And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.” —Isaiah 58:11

a peace lily plant

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. —Romans 15:13

a fruit basket

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. —John 15:4-5

If you have any ideas for inexpensive gift-giving and encouragement share them in the comments! Have a blessed weekend!!

Taking Directions From the Holy Spirit

Recently I was invited to a ladies gathering —just a sweet night of worship and fellowship time.

One of the women in our church was hosting at her house and I was unfamiliar with the address but thought I had a pretty good idea of the location. Nevertheless I typed it into Google maps this way I could have some reassurance.

Once I got closer to my destination though I began second guessing the directions my phone was offering. It pointed me to continue driving forward another half-mile but my unreliable self-made navigational skills were urging me to take the next left instead.

Reluctantly I listened and followed the GPS directions rather than my wavering mind. This is rare for me.

But guess what…I made it (without fail, rerouting, or wasted time) right to my destination.

After the evening was finished, and I was on my way home, I couldn’t help but ponder the irony of my “almost-wrong turn” I about made on the drive there.

I thought about how similar to my faith-walk at times…

God guides with perfect accuracy and I second guess, opting for my own curvy path—mindless to yield to the Holy Spirit’s promptings.

It’s interesting how, often times, I’ll ask God for direction or comfort over something I’m struggling with and He readily answers through a Bible verse, the words of a song, time in prayer, or the wise words of a friend and yet I completely miss the ‘spiritual’ road signs.

This is such a work in progress for me.

To help navigate life’s roadblocks, I love the reminder and truth of Jesus’ words spoken to the disciples in John 14:26-27:

“But the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I will give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

What a great depiction of how the Holy Spirit moves and will never lead us astray.

Allowing Him to speak into us will deter us from getting stuck by the wayside.

When our thoughts and actions align with what God’s word teaches it’s a clear indication that we’re allowing and listening to the Holy Spirit as He pours into our hearts with truth, love, encouragement, healthy thoughts, peace and positivity. When we feel and sense those things we’re surrendering to God’s faithfulness rather than our stubbornness.

The Holy Spirit will always usher us within the guardrails of peace and Jesus’ way—anything other than this just isn’t of Him and must be dismissed from temptation or acceptance. I can’t come up with a better route to take as I journey through this life toward my Heavenly destination.

Weekend blessings to you all.❤️

Lessons From A Robin Egg

My little nephew, Jensen, had a sleepover with us and anytime this happens, as long as the weather cooperates, you can usually find us outdoors.

A fast-paced game of tag might be happening (FYI I’m the tagger a majority of the game because I’m not as quick as I once was!!)…other times a soccer ball is getting kicked around, or bunnies and chickens are getting spoiled with hand-fed fresh greens from the yard.

Last night though the kids spotted a perfectly whole robin egg settled against the grass and very carefully my nephew had picked it up and brought it to me to examine. We walked back over to where he’d found it and from what we could tell there wasn’t a visible nest in sight!!

To a six year old a small misplaced egg is a big deal so we patiently wandered the backyard in search of it’s original home.

As the sunset sky grew to darker shades I knew we’d better choose an alternative option—a vacant dilapidated nest (most likely leftover from last year) that we’d found in a low branch of an apple tree would have to do!

We gently placed the round treasure amongst the old brittle looking bed of tightly packed mud mixture and then the young nature lover next to me scooped up a handful of grass and placed it over top, “for a blanket Aunt Alicia.”

Oh my heart.

That egg doesn’t stand a chance—not after the shaking it received earlier to “see if there was anything inside” or never mind the fact that it’s in an old nest without a mama to warm and hatch it, and who knows how long it’s already sat in our backyard.

…But to my nephew it was worth every effort of saving.

I share this sweet and dedicated story this morning because I’m reminded that there are times in life when we too notice ourselves left hopelessly on the ground—we’re emotionally, physically, or spiritually down.

And it’s in those moments (and even in the good times) it’s crucial that we look up, our gaze fixed on Him.

God willingly scoops us up into the palm of His hands, placing us exactly where He wants us if we allow Him to. And sometimes it may not make any sense. Sometimes our situation may not even change in the midst of His rescuing. For a time we may still feel much like an abandoned blue egg wondering what’s become of our fragile selves and if we stand a chance.

But God doesn’t leave us all alone. He’s with us and nurturing us from His heavenly realm regardless of what Satan tries to tell us.

…To God we are worth every effort of saving.

In our frustration.

In our bitterness.

In our anger.

In our hurt.

In our confusion.

He won’t give up on us. We lean into God with every fiber of our being and it’s then we expectantly watch and experience His transformation process breaking through in our lives.

Isaiah 43:18-19 has this to say:

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

Those words don’t mimic a God who would allow abandonment do they?

Instead He provides a way…the only Way.

Our God is working and moving in our lives, even if we can’t see past the shell around us and just at the right time He hatches something beautiful and remarkable in our story. He always has a perfectly divine plan but we must be willing to soften to His ways.

The reality is, the robin egg in my backyard isn’t going to have the opportunity to hatch but that doesn’t mean it’s a wasted moment. God still used it to give Jensen a chance to show care and concern. It still offered a hope-filled lesson and provided a story For His Purpose…

Isn’t it interesting how God can teach into us even in the littlest details if we’re willing to be attentive?

Have a blessed weekend!!

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