That’s literally what I typed to my best friend a few weeks ago while chatting through text message.
I had reached out to her because I needed a little best friend pep talk. Y’all know what I’m talking about? I can’t be the only one.
Sometimes we just need a little push. A little “you’ve got this, girl” from someone that you love and trust.
We need ladies that will pray with us and for us.
And we need to be that lady for others.
I hope today that if you need encouraging you have someone to turn to. If not, I’m just a DM away.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25
It’s January 16th and the month is flying by. Let’s be honest – life has gotten real crazy, real fast. Last week I didn’t meet my fitness goals, but I’m not defeated. I refuse to be.
But let me ask you a question. Are you still as excited about the goals that you set for this year? Do you still have that feeling of grit and determination that you felt January 1st?
Listen, I know you can do it. Even if you’ve already messed up, slipped up, said you are giving up – it’s ok.
Dig deep.
That same lady that was reaching for the stars on January 1st is still there. That same lady that was unstoppable may just need a nap and a good talking to. Well, here it is.
You can do this.
Don’t give up.
It’s hard.
If it were easy it wouldn’t be worth it.
YOU are worth it.
Keep going, sister. I’m rooting for you.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” Hebrews 12:1
Psalm 118:24 “This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it”.
How many times have you heard this verse –
Yet it’s so difficult to live it out. Life gets all up in the way.
We set our expectations for the year on Jan. 1st and we never even give thought to the bad days that will inevitably come.
People are rude. The to-do list grows by the minute. You get a parking ticket. You spill your coffee.
It seems so difficult in these moments of annoyance and frustration to say “-I will rejoice”.
More serious things happen.
We lose a job. Our friends leave. People get sick. We lose loved ones.
It is nearly an impossible task to get up the next morning and say “-I will be glad in it.”
For the longest time I thought if I just fake it, plaster a smile on my face and say this verse, no one will know that inside I’m really saying “Why God?” “Why did you create this day? This is not the one I had in mind.”
Friend, He has you in mind. This is why we can rejoice. This is the reason that we can look our circumstances in the face and say “The joy my God provides is greater than my present situation, and today, this year, I choose to rejoice.”
Hard days this year are sure to come. But God’s love, provision, strength, and joy go before them, are in the midst of them, and are all around them. We can choose to be victims of our circumstances, to let them crush us and our spirit, or we can stand tall and say
“Yes, this may be happening but my God hasn’t left and because of that I rejoice!”
“I may be getting beat down, but I stand firm in the word of the Lord and it says no weapon formed will prosper and because of that I’m glad. (Isaiah 54:17).
“I may be hurting right now but He turns my mourning into dancing, so I will choose to say this is the day that the Lord has made I WILL rejoice and be glad in it.
Because of who our God is, we can rejoice in the hard times.
Let this year be the year of rejoicing in His goodness!
They each have the unequivocal power to bring people together. And when an unexpected event like the collapse of Buffalo Bills’ defensive back Damar Hamlin during last Monday night’s football game unfolded, prayer became the bridge between the two.
In the moments following Hamlin’s collapse, we witnessed his teammates and coaches take a knee to form a prayer circle on national television. We watched fans from both teams unite in the stands to recite the Lord’s Prayer. Later that evening, we saw prayer vigils form outside the hospital as Hamlin received lifesaving medical care. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky paused during NFL Live to boldly and unapologetically pray for Hamlin. Then in the following days, we watched the donations in excess of 8 million dollars pour into Hamlin’s Go Fund Me, “The Chasing M’s Foundation Community Toy Drive.”
Regardless of race, religion, or fan base, the world came together in support of Damar Hamlin.
In John 17:22-23, Jesus prayed, “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity.”
When a group of believers join in prayer, it brings the unity that Christ prayed for. The Lord himself said: “Where two or three are gathered in my name I am in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).
On Saturday morning, the Buffalo Bills tweeted that Hamlin “remains in critical condition” but is “making continued progress in his recovery.” His neurological functions remain intact and he is able to breathe on his own and speak.
A miracle can be defined as an “extraordinary and astonishing happening that is attributed to the presence and action of an ultimate or divine power.” Was this a medical miracle? I am not sure. But this tragedy has the characteristics of a modern day miracle in that this event united people at a time when the world’s faith not only in God but in humanity desperately needs to be restored. The Lord used a tragedy to remind us of His presence, and the world responded in prayer.
When Hamlin asked his doctors who won the Bills-Bengals game, they responded with “You’ve won. You’ve won the game of life.” And this is nothing short of miraculous…
“You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.” ~ Psalm 77:14
I’m certain God has spoken to you about the 2023 journey that we are all about to take. I’m certain He has placed God-sized dreams on your heart – ways to help His kingdom grow and thrive. If He hasn’t yet just keep praying. Be patient. He will.
He needs you, girl.
Now, here’s where the devil is gonna try and get you.
In “your” thoughts.
In “your” hang-ups”
In “your” own self-consciousness
In words.
In his words.
Because guess what – if God said to do it then you can in fact do it. You can bet your bottom dollar that the devil knows it. And that ol’ devil will try everything he can to stop God’s plan.
God will equip you. He will give you everything you need. He will get the job done.
You are the vessel.
He is the captain.
Trust Him.
Now, get ready.
Brace yourself for the storms. When God sends you on a trip, storms will be brewing. It’s inevitable. Most of those storms will be merely words thrown at you by yourself or by others. Words are powerful like that.
I’ve had someone say to a room full of people about me, “She’s not as Christian as she claims to be.”
That mess is gonna happen ladies. People are going to talk about you. They are going to bring up your now and bring up your past. After all, they are human, too.
Don’t. Let. It. Stop. You.
And don’t let it get to you.
Don’t let someone’s else’s words stop you from doing what God specifically told you to do.
After all, whose words matter?
God’s or humans’?
And let me add this – don’t be a part of someone else’s storm. Basically, if you don’t have anything nice to say ……. you know the rest.
This year – face the storms.
Face the storms because you know the Captain.
And your Captain is a good, good God who wants to use you to further His kingdom. He knows your potential. He knows you can do it.
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11
In today’s day & age everyone is always trying to advance. Whether we want more things, more money, more time, or more friends, we are all trying to have more than what we already have.
But in reality… we already have everything we need: JESUS!!!!
When God sent His son to earth He was giving us the only thing that we needed to live. Because once someone accepts Jesus into their lives as Lord and Savior, they will live forever.
But.. how are we going to share this good news, and this great joy if we Christians in the room aren’t showing Jesus??
My question is: are you showing the joy of the Lord everywhere you go, or are you constantly trying to gain something that will never satisfy you?
If you said yes to that last part then my response is this – don’t postpone joy. Because Jesus is joy. And He is right at your fingertips if you’ll just take a hold of Him!
So many people in this world look to other things to give them joy. But Jesus is our true source of true joy.
As we go into this new year, I encourage each of y’all to look to Jesus for joy instead of earthly things. Instead of watching a show or reading a book or going out – I challenge you to pray, read God’s word, or worship when you are feeling down.
Once we start to find joy in Jesus, we can share the joy of Jesus.
So, don’t postpone joy because you can have it right now!
“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Psalm 91:1. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”
Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
As I look back over 2022 I know without a doubt how important those two verses are in my life.
This morning I finished day 75 of a read through the Bible in 90 days plan. Even though I have been pretty faithful to Bible study over the years this plan has been a game changer. It immerses you into the Word. It’s definitely a challenge to read or listen to that much everyday, but it has been so worth it.
In order to not be conformed to this world I have to diligently renew my mind. I have to dwell with the Lord and remain in His shadow. His Word is the way to get that done.
Sisters…..
Get. In. The. Word.
Don’t neglect it. Don’t take it for granted. I’m not going to get too messy, but check your screen time (🙄 preaching to self), you have time. The enemy wants us to stay out of it. He doesn’t want us to be the warriors we are called to be.
As we go forward into 2023 let’s do our part to take control of what we can control. Let’s surrender part of our day to the Word. Let’s dwell with Him and abide in His shadow. Let’s keep our minds renewed. Everything else will fall into place if we seek Him first.
Praying each and every one of you has a blessed and prosperous 2023.
If you need a Bible study partner send me a friend request on the YouVersion app.
Maggie asked me the other day if I had a New Year’s resolution.
I don’t think she knew the can of worms she was opening or the fact that she was about to get a good ol’ momma sermon.
I don’t do resolutions. That’s a whole other blog for a whole different time. But I am in a constant state of trying to be the best me that I can be.
Lets talk about that.
When you’re setting goals for the New Year are they God aligned? Are the basis of the goals God centered? Are your goals about furthering God’s Kingdom or furthering yourself?
When you’re trying to become the best version of yourself, don’t forget what that version is – God’s version. He has been creating that version since He created you inside of your mother’s womb.
If we are not aligning our goals with God-
If we are not centering our life around God-
If we’re not focused on our role in God’s kingdom-
Then we will never, ever be our best self. And that’s just the truth.
This year I pray you set the goals. I pray you achieve the goals. And I pray you see God’s hand in all of it – each step of the way.
Kind of weird, huh? But December 26th is the day I purchase my prayer journal for the new year – and my journal is basically an extension of myself.
My yearly journal holds my prayers, my sermon notes from church, my goals – basically my entire life in written form. And this big ol’ dreamer loves everything about it.
I have all of my past journals lined up on a shelf in my closet. I often flip through them – looking back at answered prayers and unanswered prayers. Every time I flip through them is a time of thankfulness and reflection. It’s a time where I can really see how God’s hand was working in everything – especially the unanswered. I catch myself saying, “Oh, that’s why God.”
I challenge you to get a prayer journal this year. I challenge you to spend quiet time with God. I challenge you to pray and reflect and hope. Write it all down.
I challenge you to dream big for God.
“But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” Psalm 33:11
I’m Stacy Goff, owner of Grana’s Griddle, and a very blessed Mom of one daughter and a grandmother of 4 beautiful grandchildren ❤
I would like to share a little with you about what true freedom means to me.
To have freedom in my mind and heart is to submit to God daily. To have freedom in my thoughts and knowing when and how to take each thought captive that comes from God is to pray for wisdom and invite The Holy Spirit to lead, teach, and guide me every single day. To have freedom in my daily activities and in my daily questions, submitting to God and fully relying on Him, allows me to experience His truth and the direction that I’m suppose to go in.
When we can get to a place in our life that we know and understand that God sees and knows everything and we have the understanding of what it truly means to fear the Lord, everything changes in the way we think, in the way we view things, and in the way we approach things and situations.
James 1:22-25
But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
When we submit to God every single day, read His word and help and love others, we are doing the work of the Father and if we want true freedom in our daily lives, we have to submit ourselves to God.
Rays of Sunshine inc 