believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, pray, Relationship with God, spirituality

Wait on the Lord

amanda

But they who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint -Isaiah 40:31

Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Maryland

Last year I challenged myself to run my first 10K race on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. It was hard. When I first started the race I felt pretty confident. I had trained months in advance to make sure I felt strong during the race. Yet that first climb on the ramp barely into my first mile had me regretting signing up. I quickly realized that I had 5 more miles of this and I started to feel a little anxious. I told myself “it’s okay, just one foot in front of the other.” My friend running next to me was a huge support. We made sure we both were going at a similar pace and it kept the run less painfully lonely. During the run I kept thinking why did I punish myself? I hate running. I truly do, but the as joy of the endorphins kicked in I remembered my why. I choose to run as a form of working out, but it’s not because I enjoy it. It’s because it challenges my body to endure, my lungs grow in strength, and my mind to stay focused. That’s why I run.

In the book of Isaiah chapter 40 verse 1, the Lord is encouraging his people. He says, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.” Normally I listen to all types of music on my runs, but I ended up listening to worship that day. I felt like I needed God to give me the strength to keep going when I wanted to stop. Nothing else was motivating me enough. Eventually my headphones died and I had no choice but to stay focused on finishing the race.

God made his promise to the Israelites by telling them that if they keep waiting on the Lord, He will renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. Can you imagine what that looks like in the spiritual world? What would it feel like? He says they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. This is the Lord’s promise to His chosen people in the book of Isaiah. It is also a promise to me, to stay focused and wait on the Lord. He will constantly give me the endurance and support I need to do whatever I am called to do. Whether it’s another 10K race or completing and posting this devotional. As long as I am focused on Him, He will guide me and give me the strength to keep going, just like He did the day of my run.

You may be going through a challenging or trying time right now and through it all God still has a plan. Stay focused on Him.

I hope this devotional encouraged you. Know in your heart that God truly loves you. He desires a personal relationship with you. Let’s not grow weary or faint, but instead wait on Him in all circumstances especially the stressful ones.

God bless you brothers and sisters in Christ. Have a blessed week.

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, pray, Relationship with God, spirituality

Staying Grateful

amanda

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This scripture is one of my favorite from the Bible about gratitude. It’s written by Apostle Paul who wrote to the Christian community in Thessalonica. The book was written with instructions on how to live as Christians. This verse, “rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” is a verse that I’ve used before in previous devotionals. I think it’s so important to speak on this verse because it simplifies God’s will for our lives. His will for our lives is to be joyful, praying and grateful. That gratitude is something that I constantly have to refocus on. As a human, it can be so easy to fall into the traps of our negative thinking, stress, worries, or drama of any kind. It’s so important to learn how to take leaps of faith and remember to meditate on things to be grateful for everyday.

There are studies that show a grateful heart improves blood pressure and can relieve anxiety and depression. Just by simply thinking and writing down the things you’re grateful for, your mental health improves. So it’s safe to say that gratitude is important. For that reason I love that Thanksgiving is a great reminder to be grateful for all things in our lives. Today I encourage you to make a mental note or a physical one with at least 3-5 things that you’re grateful for today.

While there are so many things constantly happening around us we can always take a step back and look at what is worthy of our attention or not. Let’s let the things that we’re grateful for, remind us how blessed we are and keep us content and at peace.

God bless you brothers and sisters in Christ. Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

believer, Christian, devotional, election, faith, healing, jesus, pray, Relationship with God, spirituality, Uncategorized

Chasing the Wind

amanda

I’ve observe everything going on under the sun, and really, it’s all meaningless- like chasing the wind.

Ecclesiastes 1:14

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

At first glance the thought of this verse seems a little depressing. Everything is meaningless.. if everything is meaningless then nothing is truly meaningful, sure that sounds morbid, but let me give you some context. The book of Ecclesiastes is written by King Solomon. This book is found in the old testament part of the bible before Jesus and it’s written by someone who is known as the wisest man who ever lived. King Solomon was the son of King David who reigned in Israel for 40 years. After King David’s passing, King Solomon was next to reign and asked God for wisdom over riches or power and because of this God blessed him with everything he wanted and more. King Solomon was the man who had it all, wisdom, money, power, and apparently lots of women. However he came to the point in his life when realized that everything was meaningless to him. I encourage you to read the book of Ecclesiastes where he breaks it down even further, but the point is that he realized that life is fleeting and to be happy is more important than to be stressed or worried about things we try so hard to accomplish or things we can’t control. In the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 3 verse 22 he says, “So I saw that there is nothing better than for people to be happy in their work. That is why we are here!” This got me thinking about my life and life in general.

In this day and age most people in most places around the world are all trying so hard to be the best, accomplish more, and have all we can get. We might worry about our future or things that we can’t control. Currently it’s the election season in the U.S. and people are in division between these two politicians. Yet God already knows the outcome. He already knows who will win and what will happen. I believe as believers we should be praying for wisdom and guidance on the future and for whoever is elected. Sure it’s a big deal on who our next president will be, but it should not be a reason for division. Of course our future and accomplishing things are important, but it should never take away our peace or our joy. Like Solomon said everything is meaningless- like chasing the wind.

The picture above was taken on the Trail Ridge Road Scenic Drive at the Rocky Mountains, Colorado. As I was driving up this road my body started to react to the elevation, but once we made to the top, of course the views were breath taking. As I was up there I meditated on the feeling that I wanted to stay there and somehow make that moment last. I thought about how I strived to be like the mountains that are strong and at ease, like God who is always strong and at ease. Yet, I’m not a mountain, and my body was definitely ready to go back to my normal level of elevation where I my life is actually happening. Yes, staying at the top of a mountain though sounds amazing, is not attainable and it is like chasing the wind. However, having a relationship with God can bring us to a place within ourselves where we feel at peace. While we worry or fret about our future as a normal human reaction thing we do, God is still with us strong and at ease. This scripture from the man who had it all reminds me that even though things are important to us, at the end it’s important to remember that all things will past. There will be a different president, different issues, different problems, different challenges, it’s meaningless yes. So let’s try to let go and trust God in our todays. Let’s remember to be happy with what we have. Let’s also remember to take a break when we’re stressed striving for things and remember at the end of that day, it’s not that serious. Let’s not chase the wind, but instead trust in our Heavenly Father who is always at peace and reminding us to be at peace well. Let’s trust Him.

Have a blessed day brothers and sister in Christ.

believer, Christian, devotional, election, faith, healing, jesus, pray, Relationship with God, spirituality

The wilderness

amanda

 I myself will drive these people out of the land ahead of the Israelites. So be sure to give this land to Israel as a special possession, just as I have commanded you.”

Joshua 13:6

Rural, Granada, Nicaragua

In the book of Joshua, the Lord is guiding the Israelites from escaping slavery in Egypt and leading them into their promised land. After Moses passes away, Joshua is spoken to by God to settle into the promise land and expand Israel. In the verse, Joshua 13:6, God says “I myself will drive these people out of the land ahead of the Israelites. So be sure to give this land to Israel as a special possession, just as I have commanded you.” Before entering this land that the Lord was promising the Israelites, the Israelites experienced doubt in what is known as “the wilderness” and there were times when they would be frustrated with the Lord and worshipped other gods. Still the Lord was faithful and had a bigger picture planned that the Israelites could not see or sense during that time. After Moses dies, Joshua is chosen as a leader. Joshua is known for being brave since he was willing to walk into the promise land, but in my perspective I believe he could only get his strength and courage by having faith that God was faithful to complete what He had started. Which brings me back to this scripture, God is saying that He himself will drive out these people ahead of Israel.

There are times when I myself like the Israelites may also doubt God or question His faithfulness during my “wilderness”. It can be difficult to hang on to hope or a promise that feels like is taking too long and possibly may not happen. Doubting, lacking faith, or feeling anxious are pretty normal human emotions, but this scripture reminds me that even though myself like the Israelites cannot see further than what is in front of me, I must have faith and remember that the Lord is always going ahead of me to take care of things that I can’t. As long I’m faithful to remember Him and thank Him for who He is, I can rest that He has already taken care of any little doubts or worries that might try to fester in my brain. He has already walked ahead of me in my wilderness just like He did the Israelites and is taking care of what needs to be taken cared of.

It’s relieving to know that the one true God cares and will always have my back, as He has yours. God bless you brothers and sisters in Christ.

believer, Christian, devotional, election, faith, healing, jesus, pray, Relationship with God

Not always nice

amanda
You can listen to this audioblog here.
Managua, Nicaragua June 2021

36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:36-40 NLT

I’m not always nice. Yet in the bible God’s command is ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ I’ve always been told how nice I am, but I’ve also been told that I’m sometimes I’m not that nice. There are times I have found myself feeling guilty over my sass, but here’s the truth sometimes the sass is necessary, sometimes it’s not, and sometimes it just comes out.

What I’ve realized is that I can have some sassiness in my attitude and still want the best for others. It can come from protection, defending, or just because I’m tired…

Yet through all that I’m still called to love others. I may not always feel like praying or being “nice” to others, but I try.

Jesus tells us to love our neighbors like ourselves, I ask myself how can I do that? How can I think thoughts towards others that I would like others to think about me? How can I treat others like I would like to be treated? I’m not perfect and I fail many times, but at the back of my mind and heart is this scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

And I ask myself how can I be kind? Truly kind? And not just nice because like I said I’m not always nice.

If you struggle like I struggle with being nice and a Christian, we’re not alone. I’m sure there are many of us who struggle, and with Jesus as a perfect example of love it can be easy to feel conviction for our sass, but through it all we can learn to love by truly being kind to each other. We can hold boundaries while using our voice for speaking up, and staying silent when necessary. Let’s let God lead us on that.

Hope this message blessed you.

God bless you brothers and sisters in Christ.

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, pray, Relationship with God, spirituality

Because He Loved Us First

amanda

“We love because he first loved us.”

1 John 4:19 NIV
you can listen to this blog here 🙂
Jerusalem, Israel June 2023

I would have never gone to Israel last year if it wasn’t for my mom. She had been wanting to go and I felt like I could put it off a few years. She was persistent and I still felt like I didn’t want to go, but eventually she made a deal that she’d help me cover part of my trip and I decided since she was willing to do that, I’d go. My mom’s love for myself and my sisters is really special and I’m so grateful that she was the one God chose to be my mom. Still my mom’s love could never match the love that God has for us.

This picture was taken in Jerusalem, Israel. Here on this cliff that is now protected is where people believe Jesus died on the cross. I can’t imagine being Jesus on that cross and the same people who were worshipping Him a week before were the same people who killed Him. Yet, it was God’s unconditional love for us that gave Him the strength and courage to accept His fate as savior of the world. I know that my mom has a great love for me, but it’s God’s love for both her and myself that would teach us how to love. Love is something that is so beautiful when it comes through in a healthy way. It can help us be confident, grow strength, and feel peace. When I didn’t believe that God loved me, my life felt so empty and unimportant, but after learning about Jesus and what He did for us on the cross and actually believing that He did died for me is really changed everything. That love is something that no one on Earth can give us.

So this month we celebrate Valentine’s day, I’m a little past Valentine’s day as I’m posting this post, but since it’s still the month of February why not amplify the love that God gave us. His love is the most pure and the first love of all. It’s because He loved us first that we can know and have a guide on how to love.

I pray that you will accept and feel His love for you today.

God bless you brothers and sisters in Christ.

Have a blessed day 🙂

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, pray, Relationship with God

Old to New

amanda

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

2 corinthians 5:17
You can listen to this audioblog here 🙂

About a year ago I went to this abandoned mansion in southern Virginia for a photography tour. I’m not a huge photography person, but I went for a friend’s birthday who enjoys photography as a hobby. What interested me the most was the age of the house. From what I can remember, the house was about 200 years old and was carried through many families. I’m sure it was a beautiful house in it’s prime, but walking in all we could see was the brokenness of the floors, doors, chipped painting, and so many things that needed to be replaced. At the same time there was something so beautiful of its age and history. It’s safe to say that people are not like houses. We can’t just replace the walls, be rebuilt, or reconstructed. Humans naturally age and with that our health declines. Yet at the same time even though physically it can be harder to keep up with our health, our spiritual and emotional health can always be revived.

In the verse 2 Corinthians 5:17, Apostle Paul is talking about becoming a new creation in Christ. What does becoming a new creation in Christ mean to you? For me, it means that I’m obligated to follow the Spirit rather than the flesh. It’s something that I think many Christians struggle with, much more than we’d like to admit. However, when I became I Christian the first thing that I felt was strength and peace because I knew that my life no longer felt dependent on my doings and what I could “manifest” now it was on faith in the Lord. Becoming a new creation has been an up and down walk consisting of me dying to my flesh and following the Spirit the best I can. I can say that although it’s been close to 7 years since I’ve accepted Christ, God is still working inside of me to change my heart and make it more like His everyday. Although my physical body is aging everyday (gracefully of course haha) my spiritual body is the one that is constantly being revived and renew making me into a different creation. I will never say that walking in the Spirit is easy because the flesh is so weak, but I will say that the more we focus on the Lord the better it gets and the more naturally you will want to follow God.

This physical old house was a beautiful home, and it’s amazing how it has stood for literally centuries, but we are not houses. Most humans will live till about 90 if we’re lucky, but God is more concerned with our hearts and spirits. As we believe and accept Jesus in our hearts he does the restoration process of making us new.

Thank you Lord for all you do. God bless you brothers and sisters in Christ.

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, jesus, pray, Relationship with God, spirituality, Uncategorized

Cultivating Thankfulness

amanda

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
You can listen to this blog here 🙂
Washington D.C. July 2023

It was summer the day before July 4th and I was going for a walk listening to my bible app. I asked God to lead to wherever he wanted me to go. Before I knew it I felt this strong urge to hop on the metro and take the train down to D.C. and I spent my walk/run enjoying the views of the nation’s capital. Sometimes God has a pretty cool way of surprising us when we let Him. There are many times in life when I’ve asked myself, God what is your will for my life? What do you want me to do? Am I doing what you want me to do? I once was told by a pastor that God’s will was for me to do good, and then do the next right thing and then the next. When I think about this day I think about how loved I felt. The Lord led me to spend my night here in D.C. and on my way back I was surprised by a free live concert. There was an orchestra rehearsing for the July 4th festival and I love music so much so it felt like such a treat. I was thrilled to be able to sit in the front row listening to these live performers.

Although not everyday is like this, I think it’s pretty common for people to ask the question. God what do you want me to do? What is your will for my life? If we read the Bible then we can figure out His will for our lives which actually is pretty simple. So what is God’s will for my life? According to 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 it says, to “rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Rejoicing always, praying continually and giving thanks in all circumstances is not something that we naturally do. I can speak for myself when I say I don’t always feeling being joyful, or praying, or giving thanks. However I do believe that it starts with having an attitude of prayer. Being prayerful can look like praying before you leave your home in the morning asking God to bless your day, or when you’re about to go to work, asking God to help you with your conversations with your coworkers, etc. Yes it can be that intentional time with the Lord, and I believe we should all have that time, but if you’re just starting your walk with God you can start with little things. Then I think it’s important to be intentional about what you’re grateful for and think about those things. Like writing a gratitude list, or just making your own mental list and letting your mind meditate on that. It can be hard to do sometimes when we’re busy or we’re going through something hard in our lives, but it does make a difference. Even if it’s a little difference that you feel, it’s something to shift that energy into feeling lighter. I believe the more that we cultivate that gratitude the more than we can rest and rejoice in the Lord.

So what are you grateful for today? Make a list of 10 things you are grateful. Spend some time thanking God and feel the shift of your energy shifting in a lighter more joyful version of yourself.

For this day I was grateful that the Lord led me to a beautiful experience. I’m grateful that I can count on God to lead me in all areas of my life and trust that He has his highest good planned for me. I may not know the details of His plans for my life, but knowing that I am always loved, protected, and provided for is enough for today.

God bless you brothers and sisters in Christ, have a blessed day.

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, pray, Relationship with God, spirituality

Strength

amanda

So be strong and courageous all you who put your hope in the Lord.

Psalm 31: 24
You can listen to this audio blog here 🙂
Dream Lake, Colorado

What does being strong mean to you? I was blessed with the opportunity to visit these beautiful mountains in Colorado recently and something that really resonated with me was the strength of these mountains. Feeling close to something that felt so strong and unbreakable was really grounding. To me being strong can mean different things at different times. In the scripture Psalm 31:24 King David talks about strength and courage as hoping in the Lord. To me I think that as humans it can be hard sometimes to truly hope in the Lord. For me being strong can sometimes mean pushing myself to do something I don’t want to do, but I know is good for me. Like forcing myself to wake up early or to staying on top of things that really matter etc. Then there are times where strength looks like being completely overwhelmed with negative thoughts and emotions and pushing myself just a little harder to fight those thoughts. Those negative thoughts can creep in at anytime and try to take captive. However, I can have peace knowing that my strength comes from the Lord who already told me that those thoughts are only a weak plot from the enemy to throw me off for a second. God’s truth will always be stronger than anything causing anxiety in our minds.

That’s one part of strength, but what about being strong in something that isn’t mental but real? Like war? I was in Israel this past June and I witnessed the beautiful land where God held his chosen people, and where Jesus walked, lived, died and rose again. I wonder what kind of strength Jesus felt? I can’t imagine that strength at all. Right now there is so much war and things happening in Israel and all around the world. Many people are being forced to be strong as they live through horrific realities of war or climate change, or whatever hardship they are facing. All I can truly do is pray for God’s will and protection from afar and have hope for the future.

Whether it’s war that killing innocent people or we’re struggling with negative thoughts and emotions, sometimes we are forced us to be strong. To be strong in those times of hardships, whether they’re mental or real, or just anything else that may be hard in your life. In all that, we always have God to be our strength as we put our hope in Him. He is the one that protects, provides, loves, and cares about all these things we have to be strong for. Can we put our hope in the Lord in times where things are looking or feeling tough? Can we actually rest in knowing that there is a God who has given us a hope and a future?

It’s interesting because sometimes when I think about strength having hope doesn’t really seem like the first thing I would relate strength to, but when you think about it, I’m sure there were many times in your life where hope is what got you through another day. When things are rough let’s rest and remember God’s love for us and for that simple reason alone we can have hope and cultivate strength.

Thank God for that.

God bless you brothers and sisters in Christ.

Have an amazing day!

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, pray, Relationship with God, spirituality

Presence

amanda

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.

Colossians 3: 15 NIV
You can listen to this devotional through the audio above 🙂

To be present in this day and age can be challenging. We are constantly being bombarded with all types of information all the time. We’re constantly on our phones or living a life that requires us to go full force. I know that it’s not the same everywhere in the world. I can only speak from my personal experiences. I know there are many people in the world who maybe don’t have access to phones or don’t have the same “full force” lifestyle. However, for the ones who do… do you ever feel like you’re lacking peace in your life? I know for myself I have to tell myself to take a step back sometimes to appreciate the goodness of who the Lord is.

In the verse above, Apostle Paul is speaking to the church on how they should be living. He says, “let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.” How many times do we forget to let that peace rule in our hearts? I’m the first to hold my hand up high and say “multiple times a day!” As a believer in Christ we are given that peace of knowing God, but is He actually ruling in our hearts? What does that look like? To be honest with you, I don’t think it looks perfectly all the time, but to me it means even in the midst of anxiety there’s a subtleness of God’s love and sovereignty that quietly speaks “everything will be okay.”

The second part of the scripture continues and says, “for as one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” So as brothers and sisters in Christ we are also called to live in peace. Is it always like that in the body of Christ ? No, like I’ve mentioned before, as humans we are messy and make mistakes. We can get triggered and have bad moods. We can gossip and try to make ourselves feel better through it and hurt others along the way, but our aim should be at having peace with everyone. As far as I can tell it’s not always easy for others and myself to have that peace, but like I mentioned before, I don’t think it’s about having that consistent peace and expecting ourselves to maintain it. I think it’s about focusing on Christ’s peace alone and letting everything else can fall into place. 

As a person who has been on a healing journey for a long time I can say that learning how to trust and love people is not easy, that’s why I understand why it’s so hard to have a consistent peace. The beautiful thing is that Christ gave Himself on the cross for us to live in eternity with Him and that should always be our focus.

Forgiving and forgiveness is not for the weak, it’s a constant everyday battle to give people the benefit of the doubt and to trust. We are humans before we are anything and God knows and sees that, but as I more forward in my life, like the picture of me moving forward caught off guard taken by a friend of mine, I must continue to focus on the love of Christ, that same love He has for you and for me to live that life of peace. 

Learning to trust God through the process of life is a constant reminder that the hardest part of life has kind of already been done if you believe in Him. Now it’s all about living that thankfulness through presence and rest in Him. 

God bless you brother or sister in christ. Have a blessed week. May Christ’s peace rule in your heart. 

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus

He is Faithful

amanda

To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.”

Isaiah 61:3

In the scripture above God is talking to His people and is making them a promise. The promise that He is making is about His redemptive and restoration power. Somethings can take longer than others to refine or redeem, but God can bring any darkness and restore into His glory. I believe that God uses certain situations to help us grow through our own personal stuff we might be carrying around. In my experience I can see how much God has been there for me and restored certain pains in my life that carried too much weight. Overtime of me trusting in the Lord I’ve seen God restore those areas of my life. However it didn’t happen overnight.

It’s important to take a step back sometimes and look at how far you’ve come, but also if you’re not where you want to be, what’s next? Ask the Lord and He will always help you and guide you. On that note, did you know it can take 20-30 years for a tree to fully develop? In the scripture above, Isaiah says “in their righteousness they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for His own glory.” That is a promise that He made to His people during that time, but also, to us. Sometimes we are just in the beginning stages of being planted and it can take time for God to fully restore us into His righteousness but it happens. So whatever you may be currently facing in your life… maybe you’re in a high and that’s great! Be grateful, but if it’s a low or a hard place just know it’s not forever. Life is always changing and moving and there will always be highs and lows that’s a fact, but how much better is it that we have a God who knows that and cares and is doing life with us every step of the way?

I would call that a blessing.

God bless you friends, may you take this scripture and remember it whenever you feel like you’re in the gutter. God always has your back and is always with us. We can trust Him.

believer, devotional

I can’t cry- Poem

amanda

Then Jesus said to him,  “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”

John 5:8 NIV

You can listen to this poem here 🙂

I can’t cry.
Because if the many tears that are dried up in my eyes I can’t cry.
I move.
Because of movements that i made in my mind I can’t cry.
I can’t sing.
Not because I don’t try, or because of the rejection of my voice but because I can’t cry.
I can’t speak.
Not because of my lack of words but because of the will that stops the fear from pushing through.
I can’t breathe.
Not because of my lack of lungs but because of the strong holds of my heart that keep my lungs from producing air.
I can’t cry.
But just because I can’t, cry, move, sing, speak,
I can’t grieve, not because of the lack of pain but because of the will that won’t let me go down to those pain moldly black holes in my heart.
I can’t grieve.
Or rather.
I won’t cry.
I won’t move.
I won’t sing.
I won’t speak.
I won’t breathe.
I won’t grieve.
Holy Sprit help me be obedient to the promptings of your healing grace and power:
Help me to pick up my mat and cry.

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, pray, Relationship with God, spirituality

Without the bad

amanda

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 

Galatians 6:9 KJV
Baltimore, Maryland February 2023

The day that I took this picture, it was about 23 degrees and I was freezing cold. Even though I was born in the states, my parents are both from Nicaragua, so naturally I love the warm weather. Bitter coldness stresses me out. Yet, this day was a beautiful day spent with my sister and my nephew (her dog) and it wouldn’t be so great without the warmth of a cozy apartment after this picture was taken. What I love about the weather in this part of the world is that it can be pretty cold and sunny at the same time. The warmth of the sun makes the cold enduring. For me this reminds me how in life many times we will be enduring some hardship that can pull us towards depression, anxiety, or any other type of heart ache we might face.

Maybe it is redundant, but would life be worth anything without the bad? I’ve come pretty far in my life from my early 20s in terms of my mental health. However, it was the darkest nights and the most painful memories, and even now as I endure my own personal struggles I can rest on the fact that I can’t control people. I can’t control God’s plan for my life, I can only control myself and I how I look at the situation. If I were to take away all the bad things that have ever happened in my life, I’m not sure if I could appreciate all the special little moments. Like this cold winter day with my sister and her dog. Knowing that we would have a warm place to sleep and food to eat. The little things.

Yes, there are people who will not appreciate the goodness that God calls us to. There are people that will probably take advantage of the goodness that someone who follows Christ will want to show in their lives. There are people who aren’t that great that the enemy uses against God’s will for our lives. Yet, in the scripture above Paul is telling us that even though things may look rough and people lie, cheat, or take advantage of your goodness, there is still a harvest waiting if you continue to pursue goodness in your life.

Although there are many reasons that people (mostly speaking for myself) may hold grudges or resentment, we are always called to love and forgive. Is it easy? Absolutely not. Is it doable? With God nothing is impossible, so yes it is. When we’re in this place of darkness we must remember that we’re called to love and forgive. God is our greatest protector and we can trust that as we’re doing good, He is going to do what He needs to do for His children. So I can trust that God is going to pull me through the bad. Although praying out of it is the most instinctive action we can take, God uses the negative in our lives to shape our character. Like I’ve mentioned before God is not concerned about the external, he’s concerned with our heart. So through the ugly and the bad, you can trust the Lord has something waiting for you. Let’s appreciate the struggle and take it for what it is. A learning experience that shapes our character for the better. Let’s not give up in doing good so we can see God’s faithfulness in the end.

God bless you brother or sister in Christ.

Have a blessed week.

believer, faith, healing, jesus, pray, Relationship with God

It wasn’t your fault-Poem

amanda
You can listen to this poem here 🙂

It wasn’t your fault. 

It wasn’t your fault. 

It wasn’t your fault.

It wasn’t your fault he lied. It wasn’t your fault he cheated. It wasn’t your fault that you gave your heart with the purest intentions to the wrong guys. It wasn’t your fault. 

You leave winning. You won. You won. You were the winner in this situation. You were the prize, nothing could not change a heart of a lusty, worldly, selfish guy. 

It wasn’t your fault. 

And it wasn’t mine. It wasn’t mine. I was the prize and you lied many times and tried to feed your ego through multiple supplies to feed your weak and pathetic ego your sorry lies. 

But it wasn’t your fault. 

It wasn’t mine tho. 

It wasn’t mine. 

I was always the winner and I left winning, but you will see your sorry eyes. The value of being me is a winner mentality and I am not willing to let it go up to shreds.

Because you are and idiot. And it wasn’t our fault. Girls it’s not our fault.

It was his mind. It was his heart.

It wasn’t your fault.

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, pray, Relationship with God, spirituality

My Cup

amanda

Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.

Psalms 16:5
You can listen to this blog

In the world that we live in it is easy for us to find security in things that we find tangible. Even the Israelites worshipped a golden calf after God had delivered them from slavery. As humans we were meant to worship. No matter what it is, most of have this unrest feeling to love deeply. Whether we find security in our friendships, relationships, careers, families, causes, ideologies, whatever it is seeking outside validation is something completely human. In this verse King David is speaking on how God alone is his portion and his cup, he makes his lot secure. When I think about the meaning of the word lot, I think about a territory that belongs to someone. To me this means my atmosphere or experiences around me. I love that King David is saying that it is his portion and cup that make his lot (atmosphere or experiences) secure. For those who don’t know, King David could not find his security in anything or anyone but God when he wrote this. He was trapped and being hunted by King Saul to be killed. As he found himself in these trying times he sang praises to God and now we have these verses in book of Psalms centuries later.

What I find interesting about King David’s journey is that he was cornered and forced to find his security in God. There are many times in life when we too can feel forced in a corner. Sometimes it’s not that there aren’t people surrounding us, but maybe God is isolating us. There are times when we can find ourselves in situations, where our “lot” does not look how we wanted it to, or how we planned. We too can find ourselves in a corner, and again it’s not because of the lack of people who care, maybe we do have people who care, but maybe it’s because of a lack of understanding. Sometimes a lack of understanding from others can make us feel alone. It’s important to get into community when you’re in those situations, although I’m aware that God can isolate us for a reason, it can be detrimental for your mental health if you’re not consistently surrounding yourself with good people who love you. However, we have to be aware that God is always our cup and our portion. Whether you feel misunderstood, or you are in the a season of isolation, let’s remember that God is our portion and our cup. From God we can receive wisdom, direction, and peace. Most importantly, from God we receive the love we need to give to others and to ourselves. We can love and accept ourselves, but God loves and accepts us, however that means we must be willing to let God be that cup in our lives. So if you are feeling you are in a place of lack today, remember that God is our cup and portion, He is enough for us. He always has been and always will be. We only have to remember to place him in that rightful place in our hearts.

Dear God,

May you peacefully rest your cup in our hearts today. May You and your love be enough for us today and always.

In Jesus’s Name.

Amen.

Have a blessed week ahead of you!

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, pray, Relationship with God, spirituality

Always has a plan

amanda

They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord . Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.

Psalms 112:7-8
You can listen to this blog here

Whether it’s in your life or in the world, don’t you ever feel like there is always something going on? I have to delete my social media app off my phone once in a while because I feel like every time I get on social media or watch the news, I always see something negative happening in the world. From local shootings, fires, and robberies, to the heart wrenching earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, it seems like the world just can’t catch a break. I don’t know about you, but I can get overwhelmed with feeling helplessness in not knowing what to do. I know I can’t stop those shootings, fires, or earthquakes. I can only hear about it on the news and maybe send out money to donate. Yet we are not called to do things that we can’t do. What I mean by this is that I believe that God has a specific purpose and plan for each and everyone of us and all we can do is our best today.

Days when I feel especially overwhelmed I know I have to remember who is in control of it all. This scripture in the book of Psalms by King David, David is praising God within his own situation and he is saying that those who trust in the Lord, “will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” I know sometimes I struggle with trusting God. Although I know I should and I’m suppose too, I’m only human. It’s hard to trust God when you see so much suffering in the world, or when you’re scrolling through social media and (at least for me) all I see is how this world is just getting darker everyday. Yet the scripture continues by saying “their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.” I love the part where he says “their hearts are secure.” There is nothing secure about a fearful or anxious heart. Yet as a believer I must admit that I do experience that anxiety way too often. Whether it’s something that I’m still healing on, or just because of the simple fact that my social media feed bombards me with the harsh realities of this world, as a human I believe it’s something we all go through. Yet as a believer, I am called to trust God and to have my security place on the simple fact that He has a plan. I know that God isn’t suppose to make our lives easier, however He does helps us be stronger while we face trials and tribulations. As the world gets darker and darker, our faith shines lighter and lighter and the more we trust God and love others the more we can actually shine that faith onto others. It’s not an easy thing to do, but it is something that we can do.

Going back to the beginning of this verse I want to reiterate the part where King David says, “they will have no fear of bad news” no fear of bad news.. tough huh? Yet, I can’t help, but to feel a sense of peace knowing that God does have our back. Through prayer and trusting Him we can rest knowing that even though our lives may not be easy, we are never alone.

I pray that your heart will be secure and rest on the fact that as a human we may experience anxiety, but as a believer we can rest on the steadfast hope that God always has a plan.

God bless you, have a blessed week ahead of you.

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, pray, Relationship with God, spirituality

Called to love

amanda

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

John 15:12
You can listen to this blog by clicking above

The end of last year I took a solo trip to celebrate my 30th birthday. It was a trip that I decided I wanted to do for myself after going through a few things that made me feel like I needed to set a goal and stay focused. My goal was to spend my birthday alone exploring places I’ve never been to before. Many people called me brave for this trip, but I didn’t really feel brave. I felt like I had a yearning in my heart that was telling me to go, plus a curious nature that pulls me into different directions. I went on this trip with research behind my belt feeling confident that I would be okay, and guess what? I was okay. I came back in one piece. I saw some pretty cool things, met some cool people and made it home. Traveling alone is not what I’m afraid of. What I am afraid of does not compare to a solo trip. What I’m afraid comes to me in nightmares, triggers, and anxiety. What I’m afraid of may not look the same to you as it does for me, but one thing that as believers we always have is something stronger than any fear we could ever imagine, What we have is a powerful force who is always with us, who understands the struggles, traumas, hurts, and experiences that come with being human.

I can never convince anyone to become a believer that is not job. Share the gospel? of course, but still it’s the Holy Spirit who does the convincing. My command is the one above, as Jesus says, “my commandment is that you love one another as I loved you.” Many times we can say this empty handed as if it’s a nice thing to say and then once you’re tested, are you truly feeling like you’re living up to that? To love one another? I know I’m not. When we go to heaven God is not going to ask us about our jobs, money, homes, or whatever else we leave behind. He will be asking us what did we do? What did we do? And can we say that we loved others well? Loving others is so incredibly understated of how difficult that can be for people who struggle with basic trust. How can you love when fear is all around you? I’m not trying to be subtle either, fear is in the media, social media, news, YouTube, it’s in our family history, or if you’re lucky it isn’t. It’s in the damages people do to others, it’s in unforgiveness, regret, and resentment. So you can’t tell me that God wants us to slap a “love one another” sticker over our hearts and expects us to follow suit. It’s a lot more human messy than that, and I am here for it.

Loving one another is the most difficult thing to do, but it is the command that we’re called to do. To be humble and kind, forgive, and lose the resentment. I’ve realized all that I’ve mentioned can be such a long process to fully heal and fully let go. It takes patience, persistence, and practice. Choosing to love takes more courage than we think. The more we practice, the better we get. So let’s practice loving one another by being a little more patience, and a lot less hateful.

God bless you.

Have a blessed week ahead of you.

believer, Christian, devotional, faith

The Journey

amanda

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:9

Recently my life has been going through lots of new. New places, new people, new direction. If you were to have asked me when I was in high school where did I see myself at my current age, I wouldn’t say I would expect to be where I am right now. I had plans. We all have plans. To do things, see things, and accomplish things that sometimes only make sense to ourselves. When I think about all the plans that I have made throughout my life, I can see the things where I followed through with and achieved, but there are also the other plans where I struggled, and where those doors were closed.

God closes those doors often in our lives and it’s never to punish us, but to redirect us to where we are meant to be. Going through the journey isn’t always fun. There are times where you might feel like giving up and feel like you can’t keep going, but it’s those time where God’s strength in you shines the most.

I keep telling myself that it’s okay to not accomplish everything on my “To-Do” list because I’m only human. Of course it’s easier than done. Although all these entrepreneurs on Instagram do give me some motivation, I have remind myself to be careful in seeking outside approval, instead of the one that truly matters, which is the Lord’s.

In the scripture above it sums up that even though we can create those vision boards and write down our goals, both things I’ve done and still do, we must remind ourselves that God is the one who tells us where to go in the morning, what to say during that interview, how much you can’t do, and how much you really can do. We can’t always understand his ways, many times we will be tested and redirected in a different direction and in all of that, all we can do is trust that we are being guided by something that cares more about our life purpose than we do. For that I am grateful.

God bless you.

Have a blessed week ahead of you.

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Movement

amanda

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight

Proverbs 3: 5-6
a random spot of a rainbow
You can listen to this blog here 🙂

Recently God has moved in my life in ways that I would not be able to guess if you had asked me a few years ago. Have you ever dealt with a time in your life where you felt that God was not moving you and you really wanted to be moved? As I look back and reflect on all the struggles that I have been through throughout my life, I can also reflect and be grateful for those times as well. When you are going through the gutter it can be painful, frustrating, and sometimes you feel really stuck. I felt stuck in my life, more than just a few times. Sometimes I still feel like I’m still being unstuck from past traumas, issues, or old habits, yet everyday is a new day.

As I continue to move forward and put my trust on God, I can’t help but to feel a sense of peace trusting that if God has brought me so far, then there’s still so much more for me. Have you ever felt that? Truly resting and trusting in that state of mind that God has your back? Maybe you’d ask yourself, “is it truly possible for me?” Is it possible for you to rest and trust? I’ve been feeling led to write a lot on trust, I believe it is because as messy humans we are trusting that God has a purpose and a plan which is important, for basically all humans in my opinion, but also for your mental peace of mind.

How can we really enjoy life if we are worried about a future that may never come? Or a future that may? We can’t. However, we can take things day by day trusting in the Lord with our whole heart, keeping that prayer life up as we submit our ways to him through prayer, and yes God will make our plans straight.

When I look back I can see how God has been here with me guiding my hand and closing and opening doors for me when I felt stuck, not moving, no movement… but here I am and I look back and see how God actually was moving in all of those stages of my life. So for anyone who is currently feeling stuck in their lives I’d like to say, it’s okay to take it day by day, you are moving. There is movement.

God bless you! Have a blessed week ahead of you, till next time 🙂

believer, Christian, devotional, faith

Humans Make Mistakes

amanda

Just a pretty picture of nature to go with human messiness
You can listen to blog below here 🙂

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is

Jeremiah 17:7

Have you ever been disappointed by a leader before? Especially a man or woman of God who should have been a certain way and was completely something else? I know that sometimes we tend to hold people at such high regards when they are leading but it’s so important to remember that humans make mistakes. We all make mistakes. Whether you are a leader in your community, job, family, or whatever aspect in your life, everyone is susceptible to making mistakes. You could also just not be a leader, but someone who serves more or maybe you don’t serve and don’t have a leadership position at all. It still does not stop you from making mistakes.

Sometimes those mistakes are not small either. Sometimes those mistakes are frowned up, tough, rock bottom mistakes. They may be mistakes that would make a religious person question your salvation. Have you ever felt that? Or maybe you have witnessed that in someone. Maybe it was a leader who disappointed you. Maybe this leader cheated on their spouse, or stole money from the church. Or maybe it was you, who did something that you truly regret.

Well I’m here to tell you that we’re all human at the end of the day. No one has the right answers completely. We are all learning and growing and making mistakes everyday. It’s in those mistakes where we can actually learn and grow, and sometimes heal from whatever is in our heart that caused that mistake to begin with. In the scripture above, it says “blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.” Where is your hope? Is it in money? Relationships? A position? Power? Yourself? All of the above? Maybe it’s a mix… but is it in God’s ? I believe God does not care how bad we mess up, because he knows what we are going to we face and who we are far more in advanced than we do. Of course there will always be consequences for our actions, but yet God is so amazing that He still cares more that we seek him and trust in Him. He has the ability to work and change our hearts if we seek Him.

He is that hard foundation that will never lead us astray. Blessed are those who trust in Him. So if you are in a place where maybe you have messed up, or you know someone who messed up, remember how God really just wants us to trust him. Just Him.

God bless you!

Hope you have a blessed week ahead of you.

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You are Worthy

amanda

“In fact, even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are more valuable than many sparrows.” 

Luke 12:7
You can listen to the blog below, here 🙂
Georgetown Summer 2022

Earlier this month was suicide awareness week. I’m not sure why it’s chosen to be in September, but that is the month that Suicide awareness is given. In recent years I’ve been more and more open about my struggle with depression. Although now I am in a much better and lighter place I can’t help but feel compassion for those who continue to deal with suicidal thoughts secretly, and for those who have taken their own lives for reasons they only know. Whether you’re a Christian or not mental health can attack us all. I remember the days when I really struggled and I felt like I could not move on and get out of the funk. I felt like I was always going to feel that darkness around me forever. Overtime with a decision that I made that my life was worthy, I kept fighting. And yes it was a fight. Like I’ve said, I’ve made it really far through therapy, speaking out about it, positive affirmations, books, journaling, God etc. Everything has gotten me to this place where I am right now. Which is here alive writing this blog and knowing deep in my bones that I’m meant to be here.

My prayer and wish for everyone dealing with depression is that they would find the same conviction. I know depression and suicidal thoughts can look very different for people. My experience will not be the same as yours or anyone else who is battling mentally, but something that we all have in common, like I’ve mentioned on my instagram posts… is breath. A breath. God knew you were going to be here before your parents did. I know you might be thinking something like “how could my life have a purpose?” or maybe “I wasn’t suppose to be here” or “I was a mistake.” Whatever it is that your mind is telling you the truth is that we can’t possibly ever fully understand faith and how the creator of the universe decided to design humans and destiny, (okay that’s deep). My point is that yes you are suppose to be here. You are worthy.

In the verse above Jesus is teaching on this very point. You can read all of Luke chapter 12 to understand the context, but basically he’s saying if all the birds have a purpose, why wouldn’t we? He says, “in fact even the hairs on your head are numbered.” The hairs that constantly falling off my head are numbered. That’s how close God is to every single one of us. We might think that our life is meaningless and insignificant at times, I know I have when I was deep into my depression, so yes having a deep knowing that your life is meaningful is kind of motivating. Don’t give up on your life too soon. You are sooo sooo sooo worthy. I want you to look in the mirror later when you have a chance and tell yourself “I am worthy.” It might feel silly, but it’s the truth. You are worthy.

God bless you! Have a blessed week ahead of you 🙂

faith

Striving and Faith

amanda

…I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

Philippians 3:9
You can listen to the blog below here 🙂

Apostle Paul is the famous Apostle who wrote many books in the New Testament. Many Christians, myself included, quote his scriptures all the time. He had such a strong influence over early Christianity and still does today. In this scripture Paul is talking about how nothing that he does will ever make himself right enough. He says that in order to make ourselves right with God we must have faith. I know I’ve written about this a few times, but I think it’s important and it is something we all need a refresher about.

In this day and age I have realized that there is a lot of struggle with striving towards anything. Whether we are striving in school, towards a career, in our families, or personal goals, our society seems to be value striving a lot. Yet, what Paul is saying here is that we don’t have to strive for righteousness instead we called to have faith.

I may never fully understand God or the way he works, but I do know that as I learn more about Him, He is a good creator. To live on this planet and not feel like you have a purpose (whether you are a Christian or not) is pretty difficult. Life can feel empty all around you, but to know that you were created and it was for a reason just makes getting up each day a little more easier.

Faith, is the reason why we should be waking up every day and trying our best to heal ourselves, and to love and respect others. Yes we will fall short, we all do, but it’s amazing how even this Apostle tells his early Christian followers of Christ that it is not through righteousness (striving) and “clean living” that we receive the gift of salvation, just something kinda of simple, yet kind of complicated to grasp. Faith.

I pray that you would receive faith and grace today to understand that we are not made right with God by what we do, but rather whose we are.

Have a great and blessed week ahead of you.

God bless you.

Relationship with God

It’s an Everyday Thing

amanda

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Matthew 7:21-23
Just contemplating life at my favorite place

Isn’t it scary to think about the possibility of not being saved? Now that I’m 5 years into my faith I’ve realized that having a relationship with the creator of the Universe is an everyday thing. We shouldn’t be content with just going to church and listening to other people’s interpretations of the bible. We should be diving deeper into the Bible and our relationship with God to learn more about who He is. It’s important that we are in the word daily and have an active prayer life.

I’m the first one to admit, I have issues. I get moody, I get angry, I can be resentful, I can be unreasonable.. I need Jesus daily, hourly, minutely. We all do. We need help with every aspect of our lives to make sure that we’re truly living like Him.

Are we really an example? And when I say “example” I’m not only talking about the obvious sins like having sex out of marriage, drinking to get drunk, or doing drugs, I’m talking about those other sins that people kind of slip under the rug but be very harmful to our walk with God as well. Like gossiping, being jealous of others, or being so selfish where you can only think about what benefits yourself. These things also do not represent Jesus. In Matthew 7:23, Jesus says “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” You might have heard this scripture on TikTok, where a girl is talking about this scripture as one of the scariest scriptures in the Bible, and I do agree with her. I pray everyday for my own salvation and for the salvation of others on a daily basis. However only God is the one that has the final say in the end, but the way we choose to live is evidence of which world we’re coming from when Jesus says “I never knew you.”

So let’s work on our relationship with God by praying daily, reading the bible, playing some worship music, and connecting with other believers. I pray that you crave His presence over your life. I know you will feel so much more peace and contentment after you do. Like I said, don’t be so hard on yourself if you can only read the Bible 5 mins a day, start somewhere! God can work with something. I’m praying for your salvation. Remember God Himself is the blessing, yes He can bless us with many awesome things in this world, but to know Him and to know we have an eternal life after this, is the blessing. Thanks for reading or listening. Have a blessed week ahead of you. Just remember our relationship with God is a daily thing.

Listen to this blog here

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, pray, spirituality

The Glory is His

amanda

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Hebrews 1:3

It’s June 2022, we’re in Cancun, Mexico celebrating my mom’s 60th birthday. We’re on our balcony in our hotel room and we see this. All we can think is God is good. How wonderful it is to be blessed by God, but who gets all the glory? Like many of us, I have been through a lot in my life. There were times when I prayed asking God for strength to get through whatever hardship I was going through, so when I see how far I’ve come it can be easy for me to be proud of myself and say that I’m strong, great, and I did it. Yet the truth is that God is the one who was holding me up the whole time. He is the one that made one of our long life dreams come true. Being able to take my mom on an amazing vacation might be something that seems common since we all post all our special vacay moments on social media, but the truth is that it is a privilege. It’s a privilege to be able to go on vacation with your family. It’s really not that common, and there are many people around the world who cannot do what I was able to do for my mom’s birthday, but who gets the glory? At first I would say my sister, my parents, and I have worked really hard so we would get the glory, but in hindsight it was God who was giving us that provision, helping, and guiding us to get us here. To the picture above. As we’re looking out and staring in awe of how beautiful the bright moon looks shining on the Gulf of Mexico, you can’t help but to feel peace and to know who the glory really belongs to. We are all blessed with different privileges, gifts, and talents. In some way or another God makes us “strong.” Still, He was always the strongest, He was always the provider, and He gets the glory. The point of this post is not to show off my nice trip for my mom or to say that you taking a nice vacation or nice things is a sign that God is blessing you. God blesses us everyday in small or big ways. Making it to work, whether you’re on time or not, having a roof over your head, or maybe just being able to live another day. More than anything God blesses us with Himself. When we truly get to know Jesus then we will always have a friend who loves us unconditionally. Just to know God is a gift. I’m also not trying to shame anyone for taking nice trips or having nice things, but to remember who deserves the glory in the first place. Everything belongs to Him and we are here just trying our best to be more like Jesus as we go. Let’s not get proud, but instead be humble in remembering every single dream in our heart, every single privilege, even our own strengths, and the weaknesses, belong to God. He is good, and ultimately He does get the glory. Remember to thank Him today. God bless you. Have a blessed week.

You can listen to blog here 🙂
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Turbulence

amanda

Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.  The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

Matthew 8: 23-27

Experiencing turbulence.

If you’ve ever been on a plane you’ve probably experienced turbulence. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, “Turbulence is air movement that normally cannot be seen and often occurs unexpectedly. It can be created by many different conditions, including atmospheric pressure, jet streams, air around mountains, cold or warm weather fronts or thunderstorms. Turbulence can even occur when the sky appears to be clear.” Whenever I’m on an airplane and I experience turbulence, I freak out a little, yes airplanes still scare me, and I start praying asking God to protect the plane as much as possible. You know that feeling when you don’t know what God is doing, but things take an unexpected turn and you’re just holding on for dear life? Well this reminds me of when Jesus was on the boat with the disciples. In the New Testament the story goes that Jesus was sleeping and the disciples woke him up saying “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” When Jesus woke up he says “You of little faith, why are you so afraid? Then he got up rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” I imagine Jesus must have been annoyed with the disciples that they didn’t trust him. I imagine Jesus must have experienced a level of frustration along with his compassion for our human level of fear and lack of faith. Just as we’re on a plane, on a boat, or in life, and an unexpected tumultuous moment comes our way, we too naturally get afraid. We start holding on to dear life asking God, “Hello? Jesus? Wake up? Can’t you see us? Can’t you hear us?” I know I have. Still, a thousand years to us is only a day for the Lord. So as we’re living out these moments of turbulence, we must realize that one.. the focus is truly on that gift of eternal life, but two… we also have the gift of knowing that God has our back through those pockets of air that we experience. I hope you are encouraged and blessed, stay focused and keep your faith strong.

Have a blessed week. ❤️

You can listen to this devotional here 🙂
believer, Christian, devotional, election, faith, healing, jesus, pray, spirituality, vegan

Enduring Faith

amanda

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

When I first started following Jesus I felt this overwhelming sense of peace. It was a different kind of peace that I had never experienced before. It was a peace that felt like I was safe. I felt protected and that I finally had found my way to what the true meaning of life was. It was a hard path to finally get to that point, but once I did, I will never look back. Still, as I continue my walk with Jesus I find myself enduring faith. When I say enduring faith I mean that my faith is constantly being tested by the simple fact that life is hard. As we go through life we are all going to face different challenges, whether you believe in Jesus or not. Life with God is so much more fulfilling because as I endure the hard times I see God’s glory through it. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, “we are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” I think most of our challenges cannot compare to what Early Christianity was like, or even what other Christians go through in places where Christianity is seen as a threat and people have to go underground just to have church, pray, or read the bible. I think most of our challenges, or at least mine… definitely cannot relate, I can only sympathize and admire their courage and strength. Still it does not take away from our own hardship and struggles. When we are dealing with anything that is extremely difficult, and those times will come, we will be pressured, pushed, shoved, and moved towards whatever direction, but like Paul says we will not be destroyed. So whatever you are going through right now, and even collectively as a nation seeing the horrific nature of gun violence, war, disease, and not knowing who or what to trust, we are being pressured in every way, but as believers we will not be destroyed. Which takes me back to the first days of becoming a believer, that peace maybe be tested at times as I endure my faith, but the more I hold to my faith the stronger the peace in my life becomes. I pray that if you do not have a relationship with Jesus yet, that you will accept Him into your heart, it is the best decision anyone will ever make. God speaks to us all differently so I’m not here to pressure you, just to plant that seed. So you too can also receive that gift of peace and salvation and of enduring faith during the darkest and most challenging times. God loves you and is for you. Have a blessed week ahead of you.

If you’d like to listen to this audio blog click below 🙂

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, pray, spirituality

When God says No

amanda

Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act! Keep traveling steadily along his pathway and in due season he will honor you with every blessing

Psalm 37:34 TLB
Just a walk around the neighborhood day before Easter

Recently there was a situation in my life that I was praying for and asking God to bless, but it didn’t turn out quite how I wanted. Have you ever experienced that? A time when God closed the door for something? Maybe it was a job opportunity that you wanted really badly but didn’t get, or a school application that was denied, or a friendship or relationship that had to end. For me, it was something that I prayed hard for this past year, (maybe even longer). As I’ve written about before, praying for the impossible to become possible has been something that I’ve actually witnessed in my life. So I was very hopeful that God would bless this situation and my prayer would be answered. But God said no. It was heartbreaking to come to terms that God was not going to answer this one prayer. Yet at the same time I know that if I truly want to grow in my faith with the Lord I do have to trust that He has better plans for me than what I could see or what I could want for myself. In this scripture David is speaking on not growing impatient for the Lord to act. I know that God is always acting on my behave and that my patience is something that I’m still learning to fully develop. However in this situation it was clear that God was closing this door. Now what I’m learning is that it’s important to be patient during this time of not know what is next. In this scripture David continues by saying “Keep traveling steadily along his pathway and in due season he will honor you with every blessing.” How great is that we have a God who cares about honoring us with His blessing, but what sticks out to me is that we are to “keep traveling steadily along his pathway,” His. His pathway, not Amanda’s pathway. His pathway. So although I might have truly wanted God’s blessing and a yes in that situation, He gave me a no. That was His pathway for me life. So now I must learn to continue to seek His pathway and to keep trusting Him even when He says no. Because in “due season” we will be honored and blessed. I hope you take some time to reflect in whatever aspect of your life that God maybe saying no to you, and yes it might be painful, it was for me, but there is peace in trusting and believing that God has something better in mind for you.

God bless you and have a great week ahead of you.

To listen to my audio blog click below 🙂

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, pray, Uncategorized

When prayer doesn’t work… keep praying.

amanda

Pray without ceasing

1 Thessalonians 5:17
there’s always hope

With everything that is happening in the world right now, I felt in my heart that it was important to write about prayer. In my previous devotional I wrote about how we need to trust God when we’re facing or witnessing any hardship and I still feel that it’s important that we stay strong and keep praying. Being patient while praying for something to come to past can be hard. We never truly know how God is going to answer our prayers, but faith means we actually have confidence that He will. I believe that God knows we’re going to doubt, but no where in the Bible does it say, pray and then just give it up when it doesn’t come to past. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Paul says it’s important to pray “without ceasing.” That means without giving up. Without stopping to doubt whether or not He’ll answer our prayer, but choosing to trust instead. What does it mean or look like for you to pray without ceasing? I remember I was asked this in a life group one time and I thought about it. To me, that looks like having an attitude of prayer. Now, what does an attitude of prayer look like for you? For me it looks like praying many times throughout the day even if it’s a little prayer that I keep to myself. Or praying over and over for the same thing even if it takes years for God to answer it. If you’ve read my devotionals long enough you’ve probably seen how much I emphasize the significance of prayer. Well that’s because prayer is important. It’s important to be prayerful and to have that constant communication with God open. Prayer allows us to witness miracles in our lives. Although learning about all the horrible things that happen in the world makes me feel like things are always looking grim, but one thing that we can always count on is that God has a plan. So let’s trust Him and pray for peace in this world and the list of other important issues that we need solutions for. Yes, Jesus is the ultimate source of all of our solutions, and He most likely is coming back soon, but that doesn’t mean that we’re not suppose to pray for all the other things that effect us or other people. Make a list. Whether it’s an injustice, war, abuse, something global or personal, make that list. God hears us. Don’t forget to give Him thanks in advance and give Him all the praise while waiting for your prayers to be answered. God is so good and knows exactly what we need when we need it. God bless you and have a blessed week ahead of you.

Please check out below if you’d like to listen to this devotional:

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, jesus, pray, spirituality

Courage> fear

amanda

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

Right now there is so much speculation going on about the Ukraine war it’s hard to get around it. The truth is that there are many things in this world that are just messed up. The Ukraine war is catching lots of attention on the news, but there is war all over the world is just as scary for everyone. Whether it’s in Haiti, Afghanistan, Venezuela, or Nicaragua, war is scary. I don’t know about you but when I see these things in the headlines I get worried and sometimes my way to cope it to either ignore it completely or dive deeply. Recently for me it’s been the latter. I found myself getting worried about what this war could mean to the United States if we get involved and my mind of course catastrophes to the worst possible outcome. That being said what can I do? Honestly…nothing. However one thing that I’ve learned throughout my life and since becoming a believer is that ultimately God is the one who is in control. He’s the one who is in control over Putin and over all the other wars and injustices this world is facing. My job is to pray, donate, and spread the word when I’m led to. The one scripture that I truly felt pressing on my heart about this war is “Be strong and courageous” in Joshua 1:9. In this chapter Joshua is about to enter the promise land and he is told to be strong and courageous despite the challenges he is about to face entering the promise land. Like Joshua, any time when we are facing dire situations we must remember who is in control of it all. We are not called to be afraid and worry. Although it’s tempting, trust me… we are called to be strong and courageous. I am inspired by the Ukrainian President who chooses to stay and fight despite the danger he faces. I am also inspired by many people around the world who also choose to fight for their own equality, justices, and peace. When we are in a position where we’re not being directly effected, but we are worried, let’s pray for the very best possible outcome. There is incredible strength in prayer. During these times is where we rise to be strong and to have courage trusting the Lord more than anything. So whether it’s for the war or any other situation or injustices you feel pressing in your heart, let’s pray, trust God and do what we can to support. God is with us. God bless you.

Have a blessed week.

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, pray, Uncategorized

Do everything in love…

amanda

Do everything in love.

1 Corinthians 16:14

In this scripture Paul is telling his followers to do everything with “charity,” according to the Kings James Version. When I think of charity I think of giving away unwanted clothes or money to someone else in need. The dictionary describes it as “the voluntary giving of help, typically in the form of money, to those in need.” Paul says to do everything in charity, or according to the New International Version, “in love.” What does doing everything in love mean to you? What does it look like? For me it means feeling a resistance between being patient and kind, and feeling irritated and moody at the same time. It’s almost a bother to my irritated self, but once I’m able to get past the bother it becomes a balm to my soul. It’s hard to do everything in love, let’s be honest. We get into bad moods, arguments with people we love, we feel defeated over different hardships that ourselves or someone else is facing, but can you imagine what a difference would it make to all of us if we choose to act in love instead of in anger? Or in fear? Or in doubt? Do everything in love. Easy to say, but difficult to do. However, all it really takes it’s just a small focus, moment by moment. We’re not going to get it right all the time, we have to give ourselves that grace, but if we just focus little by little we can influence ourselves to do many things in love. Maybe asking ourselves how we can speak in love? Or think about other people in a loving way? Or do a task that we’re annoyed to do but have to do with the thought of love and charity in the back of our heart and mind? What a difference that would make in our lives. I’m not saying it’s easy, I’m just saying it’s a start. Today being Valentine’s day, let’s focus on that love. No matter where you are in life, let’s allow God to help us to be those loving people to those around us. Let’s do all that we do be done with love… or at least the thought love in the back of minds.. haha. Have a great Valentine’s day. God bless you.

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, pray, spirituality

Who to trust?

amanda

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.

Psalm 20:7-8
Carretera Masaya, Nicaragua 2021

So the picture above was taken in the middle of the street in one of the busiest roads, not just in Nicaragua, but probably in Central America. It connects from the capital, Managua, to another major city, Granada. It’s here where my dad’s truck broke down out of no where. We got out of the car as he and our uncle checked it out. My dad knows how to take care of his cars really well and he’s kind of a low key environmentalist who would rather preserve the life of an old car than dump it into a landfill. I admire him for that, but I could never take care of my car like he does his. In the middle of this road as we’re trying to figure out a solution; my uncle calls his mechanic friend who says it would take him about 2 hours to pick us up and would charge us 3,500 cordobas just for the pick up which is about 100 dollars. Well in the middle of this stressful moment I say a quiet prayer. I don’t tell my sister, or my dad, I just say a silent prayer to myself asking God to help us. I wasn’t specific with my prayer either, and I wasn’t sure how He would answer, I just hoped that He would. Right as my sister and I are trying to make light of the situation, we’re laughing at my annoyed dad and taking pictures of the scenery, a man pulls up and asks us if we needed help. Turns out this man was a mechanic… I was shocked, almost not surprised, but still I stayed quiet. From my perspective his car didn’t seem strong enough to pull my dad’s truck but actually it worked! He was kind enough to take us to my parent’s house which was about a 40 min drive. I kept my prayer to myself, but on the inside I had this overwhelming peace, certainty, and calmness that God had arranged that meeting and was with us. My dad even called the man who picked us up “an angel.” In the end we were only on that road for probably 20 mins, but I have no doubt that my quiet prayer sent that man to help us. In Psalm 20:7-8 David says how, “some trust in chariots and horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord, they are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.” Okay so maybe we literally didn’t have any chariots or horses that day, but we did have the name of the Lord. I love how David was able to beat Goliath not because he was clever, but because He trusted in God. In this verse David is speaking about how important, simple, yet powerful it is to believe and have faith in the Lord’s name. He says “we rise up and stand firm” so not only are we suppose to use God’s name during our battles (prayer) but we’re also called to rise up and stand firm (that would be our faith and confidence). In our everyday lives we all have challenges. Sometimes it’s because we’re watching our friends or a family member suffer from something. Sometimes it’s because we ourselves are going through something really tough that can take years to overcome, and sometimes they just take moments to smooth over, but it’s beautiful to know that you always have God to lean on and ask for help. So I’m here to encourage you, that no matter what you’re going through today, big or small issues, ask God to help you, he may use the experience to grow you, or he may blow your mind with the miracles that He delivers. You just gotta trust Him.

Have a blessed week.

Have faith and trust in the Lord.

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believer, Christian

Quiet, Peaceful, God Time

amanda

 The news about Jesus spread even more. Large crowds gathered to hear him and have their diseases cured. But he would go away to places where he could be alone for prayer.

Luke 5:15-16
Instagram sometime in 2020

What does “God time” look like for you? For me, there are times when it looks just like the picture above, but lately it’s been looking like coffee, my bible app, my prayer list, a journal, and a pen. For Jesus it looked like it His God time was spent away from the disciples where He would go out alone and pray. All this to say that sometimes it’s okay to be alone and accept those moments or seasons in our lives. Our God time is so valuable because it allows us to hear one voice more clearly above all the other voices that speak around us on a regular basis. I have to admit I’m not as active as I was once in the church, but I do have little things I work on to make sure that I’m giving and doing my part in the body of Christ. Sometimes we have to be real with ourselves to ask how is my relationship with God doing? I believe that how Jesus separated from the group to regroup, it’s also important for us to do the same. Going to a good and healthy Godly church is a blessing, but we should also be reading our bibles at home ourselves. When I was serving at church I had many voices with great intentions speaking into my life, but it was hard to know which voice was the Lord’s. I have grown to love and appreciate my time with God even more now because I feel more peace in being able to know who God is, and that’s mostly because of my regular bible time. So I hope that you will also set that time apart to open your bible read and listen to Him yourself. Honestly it can be such a peaceful time and will make a difference in your day, and later you’ll realize how much it has impacted your life… You can start small with just 5 mins a day of prayer and a verse in the morning and let God grow you from there. I know there will be a day where I’ll be more active in the church community and it’ll be the right timing, but for now I’m happy to spend my beautiful God time learning with a small bible study group, my bible app, my prayer list, a journal, and a pen.

Have a blessed week.

God bless you.

You can listen to blog post! The link is below:

Quiet, Peaceful, God Time
believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, pray, spirituality, vegan

Appreciate the little things, just try

amanda
Pochomil, Nicaragua 2021 with the cutest grandpa

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118: 24

When I was younger I used to always think of the future as something amazing. In the future I was gonna have a big house, or my own beautiful apartment, my parents were going to live in Nicaragua, I was gonna make enough money to buy my grandparents a house, I was gonna do some stuff I thought were big things. Now here I am at 29 and the future is still something that I look forward to and the dreams are still there and are still possible, but things have changed… Since my grandmother passed away this year I’ve realized that it doesn’t matter whether I achieve my dreams or not, but what really matters is how am I choosing to spend my resources, like my time, money, or energy? Maybe some of my dreams will not come to past and that’s actually okay. Now I know I will never have a chance to buy that home for my grandparents for my grandma to enjoy, but my mom and her siblings were actually able to buy her a nicer home than the one they had lived in. She lived in that new home a few years before she passed. Maybe I won’t have a big house by the age of 30, but maybe I’ll have it when I’m 40? Maybe not, maybe having a safe comfortable space where I feel peace and happy is better than having a flashy home. Maybe some of my dreams will not come true… yeah that’s not really a popular opinion when you’re thinking of following your dreams and doing these amazing things and having a “nothing is impossible with God mindset”… but that’s not the point. While I know that God is amazing and He can do anything, He cares more about my soul than what house I’m in living in. I know for myself I’m probably always going to have goals and things that I’m aiming for, but I don’t just want to live for those “aspirations.” I need to live for my today. How can I heal more so I become a better person? How can I appreciate and spend time with my grandparents and my parents while they’re still here? How can I enjoy the little things while chipping away at the goals that seem huge, but at the end of day don’t really matter compared to having peaceful and healthy life. So the little things, like calling my grandparents once in a while, enjoying laughter with those that I love, saying I love you often, learning to be more patient with my mom, learning how to be a healthier and happier person myself, is really what counts. Today is what counts. So as we go through our daily lives, working on ourselves, working at our jobs, trying or not trying to do our best, let’s also rest and remember that because today is today we should rejoice and be glad in it because the Lord has made it. Kinda tough when you’re arguing with someone you love, or stressed about whatever you’re worried about, but just try….focus on the little things, do something nice for someone else, even if it’s just giving them a compliment or sending a “hope you have a great day!” text. The Bible calls us to rejoice today because today is the day He has made, so let’s do it or at least try.

God bless you, have a blessed week.

To listen to this blog click below 🙂

Uncategorized

Gratitude is the best Attitude

amanda

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

With Thanksgiving here I thought I’d write a devotional based on why it’s important to cultivate the attitude of gratitude. Many studies show that having gratitude in your life improves your happiness, self esteem, and reduces your risk for depression. While I’m well aware that the roots of Thanksgiving are pretty dark, what I love about Thanksgiving is that it helps us to focus on what we should be grateful for. I think for many people, (myself included) it can be hard to focus on being grateful when we’re dealing with constant stresses and worries of life. Maybe we’re worried about our jobs, a family member, a friend, or a personal relationship; maybe we’re just straight up tired and need some rest. It can be hard during these times to really focus and look at what you’re grateful for. I think its important to recognize what you’re grateful for, but also to focus on why. That “why” is what makes whatever you’re grateful for settle in your mind and heart. Now, let’s focus on the verse, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God.” Okay so Paul tells us our first step is to not be anxious and our next is to pray with thanksgiving, “let your requests be made known to God.” I love how in this next part Paul says “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Think about it…when we’re praying for something and feel a sense of gratitude towards it, doesn’t that bring you some kind of peace? How does it feel to focus on that gratitude that the creator of the Universe is listening to your prayers? Even if you’re not a Christian or a believer, science shows that having gratitude helps us to be overall happier and peaceful. So hey! I think there is something to what Paul wrote…just saying. Today, lets focus on being grateful. Maybe your situation is one that you could pick out a hundred issues, or maybe it’s just one really big issue you’re worried about, but either way let’s focus on what we can be grateful for at this moment… I feel you if you’re struggling with anything right now, life is tough… but what are you grateful you? For me I’m grateful that I have people in my life who truly love me and want good things for me, I’m grateful that my parents are still alive, I’m grateful that I can read and write. I’m grateful for laughter, for family, and for my hardships that has helped me refine myself as a person, and I’m really grateful to God for always being there for me no matter how close or far I sense him to be. I’m also grateful for you, for taking the time to read to this.

God bless you. Happy Thanksgiving.

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, pray, spirituality

What has regret taught you?

amanda

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead

Philippians 3:13

Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland

If you live long enough you will probably live through something that sooner or later you regret. Maybe it’s something that you regret the next day or maybe it’s something that takes years for you to look back and realize that if you would have done something different, then maybe you would have a different outcome. Regret can create such a heavy and guilty feeling too. “If only….I would have gone back to school…said no to this person…said yes to this opportunity…stayed here…left there…etc.” Yet, if you could look back on your life maybe you could see the things that these regrets have taught you… There are many people that say that they “don’t regret” anything because it was all a lesson, but was it really? How many times do we really use our regrets as a lesson? I think more than anything it’s important to look at our regrets and ask ourselves what we regret and why? And what can we do different today? What’s something that will help us grow from our regrets to do better today and tomorrow? I think we have to accept that as humans we are always going to make mistakes and fall short. We are never going to be perfect. As much as we can show our “best selves” to the world, we all know our own hidden insecurities, fears, weaknesses, and yes we will fall short, but if we learn from our regrets we might be able to create a tomorrow that we are proud of. Regrets happen as we live through life, make mistakes, and yearn for a certain outcome, but we shouldn’t let it hold us in a place of self contempt, instead we should look at it as a lesson for today and tomorrow. Ask yourself these questions:

What do I regret?

Why do I regret it?

What can I do to grow from this regret?

We can’t change the past, we can only try to do better today. Live your life with God as your guidance and protection, let Him lead you into a life where there might be some regrets, but at least you are living fully and know that God has got your back no matter what you do. Live your life happily loving those around you and growing from those regrets, just like the scripture says focus on what lies ahead and forget the past. God loves you and has got your back.

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, pray, spirituality

Pray

amanda

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Romans 12:12
Take a listen

So I often talk about hard times, and if you’ve been following my blog maybe you’re tired of hearing it… I don’t blame you listening to negative after negative can be draining, but the reason why I talk about hard times is because I know that many of us secretly struggle. On Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat we can easily show our good times, food we’re eating, cute selfies of ourselves, families and friends, vacations we’re taking, etc. And of course I’m going to share the positive in my life, and no I’m going to show you times where I’ve cried myself to sleep or when I’m struggling with things in my personal life. Nobody wants to see that and I don’t want to share that. I will share however, on how we can overcome these things that “nobody wants to see.” For me it’s simple, putting God in our lives first and foremost is the way of overcoming a lot of our struggles, but how do we do that? According to Romans 12:12, Paul breaks it down to rejoice in hope, being patient, and praying. Hope is such a simple thing, yet it can be very difficult to have when you’re going through something hard in your life. When Paul says to “rejoice in hope” I picture myself grasping on to any hope and allowing it to change my perspective on whatever situation I may be facing. Imagine just seeing all the negative things in your life, literally make a mental note (most of us do it subconsciously anyways!), then saying “I’m going to just have hope that everything is going to be okay…” Doesn’t that feel like a relief? It is easier said than done, and maybe it’s not the fastest relief, but just that little relief actually goes a long way when you focus on God and having hope that’s He working it all out. Paul also tells us to be patient in tribulation… patient during that hard night when you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts, patient when you’re afraid of where you’re going to be a year from now because you have no vision or direction, patient for the son who is caught up in addiction and you’ve been praying over the past 2 years, patient. Yeah no one likes to be patient, but there is strength that comes from it. Then the most important thing which is the main focus of this post…prayer. Pray. If I could go back to all the times God has answered my prayers you would see why I do believe that He’s real. Prayer is the most simple and effective weapon that we have against our trials. We can trust we’re going to get through it and it’s going to work out the best way it needs to through prayer. Pray even when you don’t feel like it. Pray for those who don’t pray at all. Pray for your family. Pray for yourself. Pray so that you can grow in your relationship with God. Pray over every situation and become a witness of God’s goodness in your life. So when you’ve been going through these ups and downs and everything feels like it’s falling apart, or taking a while, or just stagnant… pray. So if you already have a strong prayer life, keep going and if you don’t, I challenge you to start with something small so it’s not overwhelming and then go from there. Also remember that we’re called to be patient while waiting for prayers to be answered in which ever way they’re suppose to be, and to rejoice in hope. For the record, I don’t believe that every prayer is answered the way we want and some may never be answered in our life times, but still having that prayer life in your life is something you will never regret.

The song that I posted to go with this post is by Maverick City music and the lyrics are very powerful. So go check it out 🙂

Have a blessed week 🙂

Also if you have any prayer requests that you’d like to pray for please feel free to email me the information is on my about me page or send me a DM on my instagram page: @pandamaria_

If you’d like to listen to this blog or send it someone to listen to, the link is below:

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, spirituality

Through the trials

amanda

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,Nor will the flame burn you.

Isaiah 43:2
One of my old go to spots for some time in nature ❤️

Think of a time when you were facing something really hard. How did it feel? Or maybe you are in that place in your life right now… Life is filled with challenges and during those times it’s easy to want to give up, and it can feel like God is very far from near. I remember some of my darkest moments have been spent in nature where I was sitting looking at the sky thinking God could not hear, did not listen, or cared about my problems. Have you ever felt like that? So close, but so far away? In Psalm 34:18 it says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” For me, I remember facing these difficult things and dark times feeling like God didn’t care… later on I learned that even when I don’t feel Him, He is always with me. In those dark times, He was there. In the times when I have felt that God is nowhere to be found and does not care about whatever I’m going through; He’s still there. How do I know that? Was it because I saw a sign in the sky? Or an angel came up to me and spoke to me in a dream? Was it because I had that overwhelming sense of peace that told me everything was going to be okay? Nope. It’s because that’s what His word says. In Isaiah 43:2 God is speaking to Isreal, His chosen people, about how through the rivers, we will not drown, through the fire we will not be burned. Can you imagine that? I’m not saying that I’d go running into any rivers or fires, but it does give me some hope during my hardest times to remember God’s promises for me. Through the fire, I will not be burned. So now when I am facing a battle, whatever it is, as much heat as I might feel because of that trial, I know that because I’m His, and He is faithful,  I will not be burned. So if you’re facing anything extremely difficult right now, I encourage you to first take a deep breath, make time for yourself to rest, and more than anything, trust and pray. God is with you and you will not be burned.

Have a blessed week.

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“Aren’t you a Christian?”

amanda

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Romans 12:3 NIV

Many times Christians are ridiculed and criticized for not being “Christian enough.” I have to admit, being called to be like Jesus is a pretty high standard to live by. Jesus was someone who fully loved, didn’t sin, was crucified by basically the entire world, and loved it anyways… yeah kinda tough to follow. I’ve realized that even though we are Christians our human nature is still as rough as anyone else’s. Christians are just as tempted to be horrible as much as we are called to be like Jesus. We’re tempted both by the enemy and our flesh. We have to be aware of this and continue to walk towards that straight and narrow path, even when it’s not easy. I’ve encountered a number of difficult relationships with Christians and non Christians. However it’s always more painful and frustrating when a Christian behaves in a mean and hateful way, than a non Christian. As a Christian we are called to love others and forgive, but sometimes as a human it can honestly just be difficult. I’ve seen many people hurt each other and sometimes non Christians can be more loving than an actual Christian, but we have to remember that nobody is Jesus except Jesus. We are called to higher standards yes, but let’s remember people are just people. We’re all tempted to gossip, to hate, to be jealous and ugly, but also we’re are called to love, forgive, encourage, and grow in our faith with Jesus. Like I’ve said many times before, it’s a process. Most of the time people’s ugly natures stem from an insecure and unhealed place of their own. No one is free from being tempted to be a “bad Christian,” we all have a choice and we all have a responsibility to heal ourselves to limit that ugliness in us as much as possible. On that same note, we must forgive and give grace to people who are hurt and spill that hurt on to others. Only then can we really be effective for God. Instead of judging other Christians being like “Aren’t you a Christian?” Let’s try our best to extend some grace, because let’s face it, maybe you’ve also been that ugly Christian in some way to somebody or you struggle with some kind of sin…maybe not.. but maybe. I know I have and still do, and that’s why I try my best to ask God to help me be more like Him everyday. So just like Paul says let’s not think of ourselves better we actually are. Yes we’re Christians, but we can be sucky humans as well. So let’s give each other and ourselves grace.

Have a blessed week.

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believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, spirituality

Let your roots grow

amanda
My weird self trying to take artsy pictures in my natural element, barefoot. June 2020

Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:7

Life is hard, and yeah that’s an understatement. We all have different levels of hardships that we face, but regardless at some point of our lives, if we live long enough we’ll face something that is very hard. That being said, most of time during those difficult things that we face, it’s hard to find hope and to keep going. We’ll look and grasp towards anything just to keep going. Whether that’s drugs, alcohol, relationships, family, money; that all depends on the individual and their own personal story and perspective. Yet, what I’ve learned is that God just want us to go to Him. Maybe sometimes for us it’ll be a mix of those vices, and God. I think most of the time it’s the latter. I love how scripture tells us that through knowing Him more and more and building our lives on Him then we will overflow with thankfulness. For me that means that we have to be able to walk away or end things in our lives that hinder us from growing deeper in the truth of Jesus. It’s not an overnight type of thing though. It’s an everyday practice of growing our roots. Living in a place like Maryland there are ALOT of trees. Many times we just pass them without a second thought, but if you really take the time to appreciate them, you might be able to recognize yourself in them. They were once planted, and over time with the help of a little mother nature grew into something big, mighty, and strong. With us, it’s kinda the same thing, except we have to choose what will help us grow and what won’t. Our roots aren’t gonna grow much in those vices or toxic behavior that we’re used to. Our roots grow the more we focus on Jesus and on allowing him to change our behavior. It’s a process. A process that we can’t give up on, and that we can’t judge others on as well. It’s a tough one, but it’s doable. So this week I’m wishing you a blessed week that’s filled with taking some focus off substances that feel good for a moment but don’t allow to grow for the long run, instead for you to focus towards the one that will help heal you and flourish you for eternity. Just God, just a little Jesus. Focus on Him.

Much love and God bless you. Be patient with yourself and others (at least try.)

believer, Christian, devotional

It’s a relationship, not a religion

amanda

Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law.

Galatians 2:16
Just a picture of me at a beach in Nicaragua, just because I don’t know feeling cute. June 2021

Growing up I always thought that Christians were a group of people who were very conservative, didn’t celebrate Halloween, and had to follow a strict way of living. Since I grew up Catholic and my parents didn’t practice such a strict lifestyle so I really didn’t see myself as a “Christian.” When I first became a Christian in 2017 I was also kind of lost about the whole meaning behind Christianity. Did it mean that I was now suppose to follow a strict lifestyle; pray all the time, and change all of my ways? Today I’m a little further in my faith and I’ve come to understand the very common phrase in the Christian community, “It’s a relationship, not a religion.” In Galatians, Paul talks about  how we are already made right with God by just having faith in what Jesus did on the cross for us. There is nothing more we need to do. So what does that mean for us? For me I’ve been learning that the more I pray to God the more that He truly does change me. When I first became a Christian I felt this pressure to change all of my ways and become this “cookie cutter” no cursing, smoking, or drinking Christian. Yet in my heart my ways truly hadn’t change. I had to learn through difficult circumstances that change really doesn’t come from our own strength. It also doesn’t come simply by accepting Jesus, it’s a start, but still it’s a process. As long as we are alive, we will always fall short, but thank God we are not made right by what we do, but by who He is. It’s so hard sometimes to accept ourselves as crazy as we are and be grateful that the God of the universe is a good one. We can listen to people preach about God and tell us what to do, what’s right, what’s wrong, but when we open the word and read for ourselves and spend time in His presence, that’s when we’re able to truly get a greater understanding of who God is. I always feel the closest to God when I’m reading His word, praying, or just talking to friends about life and what God is doing in our lives. I understand that listening to a sermon is a really important way to feed our relationship, but the law is simple…faith. So at the end of the day I know that I’m bound to mess up because I’m human, but God has already forgiven me and loves me. The only thing I need to do is keep God in my life through prayer, reading the Bible, worship music, fellowship, and little by little maybe my ways will change, maybe not fast, maybe just a little, or maybe somethings may not change at all, but either way I’m happy to know that my worth isn’t determined by what I do, but who He is. So know that for yourself. You are loved and cherished. God loves us more than we could ever be loved by anyone, and more than we love ourselves.

Have an awesome blessed week ahead of you.

Christian, devotional, election, faith, healing, jesus, spirituality, Uncategorized

Time

amanda

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

Ecclesiates 3:1
Just some pictures of me as a baby, me and my sister, and some family pictures from the 1990’s ish

Time. As we all know, and there have been many quotes and writings about this, time is completely fleeting. You can’t control time as much you can’t control the wind. Yet as long as we breathe, we have time. Earlier this month my grandmother left this planet and woke up in Heaven. It’s been a tough time for my family, but there is peace in knowing that she is in a beautiful place where she can finally receive her eternal peace. This however made me think of time and the significance of it. As I was visiting my family in our home country I ran across this photo album. Although I don’t remember every little detail… I remember being a kid, playing outside with my sister and our friends, the fun times of halloween, celebrating birthdays, and thinking that I had a really long time. Now here I am decades later and I’m realizing how important it is to appreciate the time that I have left, what will I do with it? The passing of grandmother has made me think about how important it is to truly appreciate not just what we have, but who we have in our lives. Am I spending time with my family and creating awesome experiences? Or am I spending more time complaining about them and wishing they were different? Am I respecting and accepting my parents? Or am I arguing with them about some dumb disagreements? Am I showing love? Am I being present? Of course having boundaries with family members in all families is so important, but I believe that learning how to truly appreciate the people we love while we still have them, and appreciating our own life for who we are, is so incredibly important as well to having a fulfilling life. Seasons past, things change, God is always forever, but how are you spending your time? I hope this makes you think a little bit more about your life and what you wish to change, and I hope you as myself continue to learn how to love and value the people we have in our lives while we’re all still here. ❤️

Have a very blessed day and week ahead of you.

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, spirituality, vegan

What to be grateful for?

amanda

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Being grateful is not always easy as it seems. When you’re tired, stressed, or worried for whatever reason, being grateful isn’t always the first thing on the “to-do list.” Personally when I’m moody, or depressed the last thing I feel is grateful. Yet, God calls us to be grateful at all times. Not sometimes, not when feel like it, but all times… I love how in Philippians 4:19 Apostle Paul tells us through his challenging times that God will supply all his needs, and like Apostle Paul,God will also supplies all our needs… if we could only just focus on being grateful for what we already have. Now take a moment to look around you. I’m sure at this moment you could at least see or think about three things to be grateful for. And if you’re having a bad day, maybe think of 3 more things. When you notice what you have to be grateful for, focus on that, meditate on it and realize how lucky and blessed you truly are. If you’re having a stressful day, take a moment to breathe and thank God for those 3, or even better, 6 things that you’re grateful for and ask God to give you strength to deal with whatever is stressing you out and for His peace that He is already working it out in your favor. There really is no use in stressing over what we can’t control, and when we stress over things that are actually stressful it tends to cloud our minds to the solution that might be right in front of us. Sometimes that is so much easier said than done, so we have to actually pursue and take action to be grateful. That’s why focusing on what we’re grateful for and creating those gratitude lists is so important to our wellbeing and happiness. So what are you grateful for today? Are you grateful for your friends? Family? Job? All of the above? None? To be alive? To have clean water? Make that list. Jot it down and meditate on it. Because you are blessed.

Here’s what I’m grateful for today:

  • My loving and supportive boyfriend
  • My loving and supportive family
  • An income
  • My working car
  • Clean water
  • Being able to see and hear

The list can go on if we choose to…

Have a blessed week 🙂

believer, Christian, devotional, election, faith, healing, jesus, spirituality

Choosing to Unnumb

amanda

That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:10

Choosing to unnumb…

I started first drinking when I was a teenager, about 14. I remember getting buzzed for the first time at a family friend’s New Year’s Eve party. When I first started drinking I felt like it was just a fun thing to do with my friends. Homecoming, prom, after parties, skipping parties, bored at home with friends, drink… Why not? When I first started college partying was an almost every weekend event, and we’d drink… what else were we suppose to do? As I got older the drinking turned into smoking weed. Then I felt like well since drinking is bad for you, at least weed isn’t addictive or give you hangovers. Smoking weed was bitter sweet. I used to say it would feel like, “taking my mind on an adventure.” I’m a naturally a deep thinker, weed made me think a lot which felt good for a little bit but then…the paranoia would come in, and I could not tell the difference between the truth and the lies that my mind would tell me. Overtime I started realizing that weed was both a nice relief, but really bad for me at the same time. All my friends, or people who smoke would ask me if it was maybe just the strand… well I don’t know much about the logistics of weed all I knew was that it would get me high, and it all had the same effect, at least that’s what it felt like to me. Relaxing, then paranoid, and then it would make me not even be able to hold a decent conversation. So yeah… weed was not for me. With alcohol… well it’s not like I was an alcoholic I just liked to drink socially and maybe a few times a week drink wine while watching a good reality tv show, where people on there were ALSO drinking. I know for a lot of people this seems really common and normal. You could even say drinking and smoking weed has even become as common as drinking coffee. Well I don’t know about you and your journey, but I do know that for me it’s been something that I’ve used to numb my feelings. I didn’t know it consciously at the time, but overtime I’ve realized that it all just numbed me from feeling what I actually felt….uncomfortable, anxious, sad, and maybe even depressed. When realized I wanted to stop numbing myself I realized that I could actually give myself a chance to truly live. To embrace God’s goodness and love that He has for me. To be happy and joyful in a healthy way, and more than anything a chance to face those demons of depression, anxiety, and sadness that I was just prolonging in my system while I numbed them out. If I could un-numb myself I had a chance to fight those feelings out, and truly be happy the right way. Would that mean that I would be invited to parties less? Yes. Or that in some situations I would be kinda bored? Maybe. Or that I would be uncomfortable in a social setting where everyone was drinking and I wasn’t… yeah. But it’s worth. Deciding to un-numb myself took a few hard events to take place. To me my “numb-ers” were weed and alcohol, to you it might be something else like food, overspending, Netflix etc. It’s painful and it’s hard to get away from things that numbed you for such a long time, but it’s worth the fight. And through it all I’m here to remind you of this beautiful scripture from Paul. He says this while in prison and he talks about how through his weakness God gives us strength. So through our pain and weakness remember who your strength is. Praying that God will also free you from your “numb-ers” and un numb you!

God bless you,

Have a great week 🙂

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, spirituality

Where does your joy come from?

amanda

The joy of the Lord is your strength.

Nehemiah 8:10
Sunset, Great Seneca Creek Park April 2021

In this famous verse Erza, a priest who God used to speak to the Israelites, tells them not to weep or mourn, but instead “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Later on in the same chapter it says, “and their joy was very great.” What was happening is that Erza was reading the “Book of the Law of God” to the Israelites and reminding them who their God was. What’s important here to note is that the Israelites were not perfect. They weren’t well behaved and they did drift away from time to time, they were simply just a group of people who were loved by God. When I think about my own personal circumstances I feel like many times my joy can drift depending on what is happening around me. Then I have to ask myself, like I’m asking you today, where does your joy come from? And be honest with yourself, it’s okay if it’s not the “right” answer. Maybe you find yourself being more joyful when your bank account is nice and plump, maybe when your relationship with your kids is going well and there are behaving, or when your partner does something really nice for you? Where does it come from? I think having those nice things happen for you can make your joy expand temporarily, but there has to be something stronger than a temporary joy. What happens when your partner does something that offends or hurts you? Or your children start skipping school and being a pain? Or you lose your job? Will you let those circumstances steal your joy? Or will you refocus onto the One who gives you the strength to make it through the hard times? God is always willing to refresh us if we choose to come to Him and make Him our priority. So todayI’m simply here to remind you, find your strength and joy on the only one that can sustain it, only then can you truly be used as a blessing to those around you, and only then will you be able to experience a more stable sense of contentment and peace. So fix your eyes on Jesus, and may the joy of the Lord be your strength.

God bless you and have a very blessed week ahead of you.

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, spirituality, Uncategorized, vegan

trust the process

amanda

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3: 5-6
DC nights, April 2021

As the sun is setting over the Potomac river, I feel a moment of ease and peace trusting God. Life, as most of us know, is not easy. Sometimes we can make great progress in certain areas of our lives just to fall back a step or two, or even three. I for one am someone who has definitely taken many steps back while continuing to pursue many steps forward. Unfortunately, I also have a tendency to be extremely hard on myself when I do fall back, but what if that’s the process that God needs to take me on? What if in order for God to fully heal my heart I have to mess up? I mean we can’t heal what we’re not aware of. There are times when I mess up I will doubt myself so much, yet with God, the fact that we’re even trying is good enough for Him. I’ve realized that when I doubt myself, I’m also doubting God, and not trusting the process that he’s taking me on. Instead of leaning on His understanding I’m leaning on my own understanding. Yet Proverbs 3:5-6 says that as we submit ourselves to Him, (which I believe is an everyday decision that takes consistent practice) then He will make our paths straight. So the Lord will make our paths straight as we fall down, get back up, feel doubt or get scared when facing a setback. He will make our paths straight as we submit ourselves to Him, maybe not perfectly… maybe a little shaky, but He will make our paths straight. So yeah maybe the process isn’t easy, a straight line, or a one day to another miracle. Maybe the process is one of mistakes, and learning from the mistakes… Maybe that process is actually really beautiful in it’s own hard, difficult, way… so wherever you in your life. If you’re working on healing yourself, or you’re praying for someone else, or whatever promise you’re waiting for God to fulfill in your life, trust the process. He’s got your back.

Have a blessed week.

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, spirituality

Have Peace

amanda

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

2 Thessalonians 3:16
Maryland National Harbor, March 2021

What is peace? What does peace feel like? What does it look like? I constantly find myself praying for peace, while also experiencing motions of peace coming in and going out. When I was younger I used to think of peace as a place where there was no trouble, constant joy, and little to worry about. Now I’ve learned that peace is actually more than that. It’s having peace in the middle of a mid-life’s crisis or going through something painful and experiencing a calmness while focusing on the end, that’s actually more like peace. I love the bigger picture behind this scripture as it talks about how God is the Lord of peace who gives us peace at all times in every way. What does that look like for you? For me it looks like remembering the times that I was facing something difficult that God brought me out of.

There are so many things in this world that is are down right horrible. There are so many things that we can’t control. There are many things that we should not be okay with. I personally hate that sex trafficking, destruction of our planet, racial injustices, and injustices in immigration are a reality for us. I also struggle with going back and forth accepting and regretting parts of myself. All this to say… that life is not easy, it’s tough yet through it all God knew it was going to be hard for us. It was hard for the apostles trying to spread the gospel around the world. It’s hard for Christians being judged and persecuted for what they believe in. It’s tough for everyone. Yet, through all of that God still tells us to have peace. Peace. Through the ugly, darkness, the injustices, the war, and obstacles that we humans face, God gives us peace. So today wherever you are in your life I am praying for your peace. Peace that you will trust that God is with you and for you and you will be okay.

Have peace and a very blessed week.

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, spirituality, vegan

Gentle Heart

amanda

In the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.

Titus 1:2

God is a God who does not lie. Our hope is not in our money, or what we can accomplish, but it’s on what He has done for us. He has given us eternal life, by dying on the cross for us to be free. When I think about that, everything else seems so insignificant. Like it doesn’t matter that we care so much about this world because God is so above it. What He wants is for us to bring souls into heaven. And that is done through a gentle heart.

Dear God,

I know that many times I fail at having a gentle heart. When my mind is filled with judgment and fear I want to have a rash heart towards others. Please help me to trust you, look towards you and remember you, so you can be the one to give me peace and be that gentle heart towards others.

Your daughter,

Amanda

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Follow the Sun

amanda

They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.

1 Peter 3:11
“Seek Peace, Pursue It.” That was originally going to to be the titled for this blog post, but then I thought about “follow the sun.” One, because I love the Beatles and that song, and 2 because I mostly have pictures of sunsets 🙂

What does having peace mean to you? For me to have peace means getting angry a little less, to not worry, and basically just enjoy life, but let’s be real here is that something that is actually common for most of us? Many times as we face hardships the first thing we feel isn’t peace. It’s worry, fear, or doubt. The hard realities of life’s circumstances aren’t really anything to feel peaceful about. Apostle Paul says “turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.” I think sometimes we can underestimate the consequences of our actions. Looking back there are many things I’ve done where I know if I just would’ve said no, stayed home, or focused on something good I could have avoided a lot of pain. Not being super religious here, but I believe “turning from evil” means maybe you’re gossiping about a friend or coworker, and you should stop, you’ve been partying a little too hard lately, or maybe you need to reevaluate how you’re being toxic in relationship? Whatever “evil” or wrong that is in your life is always something that we need to look into and change, do good, do better, do our best. Changing a negative habit isn’t easy, but it is worth it in the long run even if it’s a baby step. I believe that as you change those bad habits and “do good,” peace will follow. That’s why Peter says then, “they must seek peace and pursue it.” So you’re not just receiving the peace that Jesus gave us when he died on the cross for us, but you’re also seeking it and pursuing it. For me, seeking means that I must be looking for things to be peaceful about. To me that can change on a daily basis, but for the most part it means finding reasons to be grateful and seeing the good in life, and when things are tough looking towards God and trusting Him. Remembering that He is good and He has a reason for all that I’m experiencing that doesn’t feel so peaceful at the time. What does it mean to pursue something? Well according to dictionary.com to pursue means ” follow (someone or something) in order to catch or attack them.” I don’t know about attacking peace, I’m sure you could… but I think it means we must go after peace aggressively, finding reasons and doing things that would bring us a peaceful life. Maybe thinking about the consequences of our actions before we speak, or finding healthier habits to cope with hardships, or being grateful for the very little things (that ultimately end up being the bigs things anyways.) Pursing peace is an action. It’s something that we must do to live the life that God wanted us to live. So I encourage you, if you’re having a hard time today seek that peace, look for it, pursue. Let’s turn from the things that bring destruction into our lives and do good so that we can live a peaceful life. Follow that Sun that represents God’s goodness which is always ready for you to take.

Praying for you lots of peace, strength, and hope.

Have a blessed week ahead.

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing

Don’t be petty

amanda

2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

romans 12:2
Summer 2020 boldly wearing my God is Dope t-shirt 😎

A few weekends ago I was having brunch with one of my good friends and we were talking about my birthday. In the middle of my conversation I said “I am petty.” I was referring to being “petty” about one of my other friends not saying “happy birthday” to me on my birthday… okay I know…. really dumb and immature, but I think it’s important to be real with the things we struggle with even the petty ones. For those of you who don’t know, being “petty” is pretty much slang for getting angry over little or meaningless things, or making someone else mad over something that feels small and meaningless. And yes, I was being petty. When I was talking to my friend we both started laughing that I was being so open and honest about being “petty.” Later on I went home and then I had this heavy feeling in my chest. I started to think about how this friend who I was holding a grudge on was actually a pretty good friend to me in the past. I thought about how maybe she just doesn’t see birthdays the same way, and maybe she just forgot but it didn’t mean that she didn’t care about me. Then I thought about how could I call myself a Christian yet be proud of “being petty” what would Jesus think? What would Jesus do? Well when I think about Jesus’ personality I think about God who is firm, righteous, yet graceful and loving. All the mistakes that I’ve ever made, God has forgiven me for. How can I truly represent (wear a “God is dope” t-shirt) Jesus well if I’m okay with being “petty”? No I shouldn’t be okay with it. If I truly want to represent God well then I should try my best to give grace to that friend who forgot my birthday. Have those boundaries with people, and have respect for myself yes, but still show grace to other people. Is it hard? Yes it is. I guess I’ll speak for myself but I don’t know why God made it easier for me to be “petty” than to show grace and forgiveness to others. Maybe he just wanted to challenge us so that when we do show grace and forgiveness it would actually be genuine? Or maybe he wanted to grow us in our character? Or maybe we just live in a fallen world? Regardless of the reason when I think about who I want to be.. well let’s just say I don’t see Jesus as being petty over something like his friend forgetting his birthday… I believe God wants us to live a life practicing forgiveness like He does to us everyday. So today think about how you’re possibly being “petty” and show some grace, forgiveness, and love to those people. If you can’t do it in person, maybe just in your thoughts?

Bottom line, lets renew our minds with God’s word, and let’s not be okay with being petty.

Have a blessed week ahead of you.

believer, Christian, devotional, faith, healing, jesus, spirituality

Grateful for what is coming

amanda

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7
Peach Trees, July 2020

I remember this hot summer day. My boyfriend and I wanted to go picking some kind of fruit and we decided to go here to pick some peaches. It was the middle of summer and walking from the parking lot to the entrance of the field had us dripping in sweat. It was very uncomfortable to say the least. In the back of my mind I thought about how I just wanted us to leave and go jump into a lake somewhere, but somehow my boyfriend made it fun enough for us to stay (just a little longer..). We looked for some peaches and went home with a box of peaches! We didn’t eat much of the peaches… but it was an fun time for sure. Many times I feel like God is just like that hot summer day, it’s uncomfortable to be in the waiting season of your life. It feels like sweat is pouring down your back anticipating what’s to come. It’s so much easier to be grateful when what you want is right in front of you, but what about being grateful before God answers those prayers? I love how this scripture Paul is telling us to never be anxious. I don’t know about you, but I know that’s a hard feat for me to follow. Yet, those are our instructions, to never be anxious, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present our requests to God. So that means while we’re in those difficult hard to see the end of the tunnel times we must be grateful. While we’re under the heat of the hot summer sun, or the middle of the stormy winter, we must remain grateful for what’s to come. Whether we like the outcome or not is not the point, the point is that because we are giving it to God we can trust that however our prayer is answered is for the best. Paul goes on to say “And then the peace of God…will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus.” So whatever it is you’re worried about, if you give it to God, I can’t say that “you will experience so much peace and bam you’re cured” but maybe you’ll experience just a little peace, maybe that’s all you need. So whatever it is you’re worried about or stressed out about today pray for the best and live your life gratefully. That’s my prayer for you.

Have a blessed week.