Are you ready? 

I wasn’t…

A few months ago my husband came to me ready for major changes in our marriage. He realized the rut we had been living in and wanted to override the negative cycle. He wanted to put our marriage into motion instead of going through the motions.

My response reflected my lack of readiness.

Instead of praising God for answered prayers and stepping forward into a new season, I stalled in built-up bitterness and built new barriers of offense. 

I had been praying…but I wasn’t prepared.

Together, we began working through hurts that needed healing and attitudes that needed shifting. I realized that I had been praying for my marriage to change, but I had things I needed to rearrange.

I had to make room for Him to move.

It makes me think of Mary.

Mary’s response is proof of her preparation. In Luke 1:38, she answered to the angel, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”

My response reflected my unreadiness.

Mary’s response reflected her willingness.

So, are you ready?

Are you ready for redemption in your marriage?

Are you ready for a breakthrough in your family?

Are you ready for the miracle you’re needing?

Are you ready for the prayer you’ve been praying?

Have you prepared?

Have you processed your past hurts and healed?

Have you broken down bitterness and offense?

Have you named and faced your fears?

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us also prepare for what Jesus came to do: Heal. Restore. Save. Make a way. Redeem. 

Jesus is coming.

Are you ready?

I think we can all agree when I say the holidays bring some amount of stress. 

Whether it’s stress about buying gifts, hosting a bunch of people, making a lot of food, or even just seeing certain family members – it’s stressful. 

But the holidays weren’t meant to be stressful, they were meant to be the most joyful season of the whole year. 

Let’s go back to this! I hate to say the classic saying, but, remember the reason for the season!! 

Christmas and Easter are probably the easiest opportunities for Christians to share the Gospel. Everyday is an opportunity don’t get me wrong, but these holidays are literally celebrated by most Americans across the world, and half of them don’t even understand the full context behind them. So why don’t we tell them? It can be awkward, and it can be scary, but it is worth it. 

This holiday season share THE story.

Praise your savior this holiday season by sharing His story. 

Christmas is the time of year that we set aside to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Take a moment and think about the word Savior. The definition of Savior is a person who saves someone or something from danger or destruction. Jesus came to earth to die for you and me. He came to save us from the danger and destruction of our sins. He died so that we could be declared righteous in the eyes of a Holy God.

“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.” 1 John 4:14

Before the foundation of the world God had already set in motion a way for us to be made holy and righteous. A way for salvation that we would never be able to do on our own. Jesus is the miracle we celebrate every Christmas. He came to give us hope and joy through salvation. He came to show us just how much love the Father has for us.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16

The hustle and bustle of Christmas can sometimes distract us from this truth. This can also be a time of discouragement and sadness for people, especially if they don’t know Christ. We get so caught up in our own celebrations and gatherings that we forget to show the love of Jesus. Jesus came as a servant to bring love and peace to earth. He showed His love by taking time with people. He cared for the sick, poor, and the sinners. He fed thousands and even washed His disciples feet. Jesus cared for the lost and wanted all to come to salvation. He was truly an humble servant!!

As we celebrate our reason for salvation this Christmas, I think we should seek and pray for the Lord to lead us in our service to others. We need to step away from our own selves and be humble servants just like Jesus.

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

          Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross! Philippians 2: 5-8

Can you imagine how stressed Mary must’ve been whenever it was time to give birth to Jesus? I’m sure she was unsure, scared, maybe a bit frazzled…. And then to make things more complicated, there was no room for them. 

Luke 2:6-7 tells us “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”

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There wasn’t a guest room available for them? Where was Mary supposed to deliver her baby boy? Can you imagine the panic? Can you hear the “what are we going to do?” that Mary asked Joseph. Do you think Joseph was cool, calm, and collected? Or was he panicking as well? 

There was not room for them, but there was a stable nearby…. I do not think it was a coincidence that the stable and manger were there. 

God knows the end from the beginning, and He made sure there was an enclosure nearby for Mary to deliver the Messiah in. The manger being there was not a coincidence. 

There are plenty of examples of this throughout the Bible. Another example is Zacchaeus climbing a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus. God made sure the tree was there long before Zacchaeus would climb it. 

As we go through life, we often wonder if there is a way… or if God will make a way. Whatever season you’re in, regardless of the situations you may go through, God makes a way. Our God is the God who parts waters, extinguishes fires, provides mangers, and plants trees. He heals cancers, sicknesses, provides, and protects. No miracle is too big for God. 

God will make a way when there seems to be no way.

As we come into this week of Thanksgiving I want to encourage each of you to truly reflect on the time you give to praising and worshiping our Lord! The holidays can get so busy that I think we can sometimes lose our fellowship with the Lord, but really praise and worship are a daily essential in our christian walk.

“I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands.” Psalm 63:4

When I think about how faithful God is to me, I can’t even comprehend not falling on my knees and lifting my hands in praise to Him, but I will confess that there are days that my praise and thankfulness are not what they should be. In times of busyness, like during the holidays, I find my focus can be filled with anything but genuine praise. It is times like this that I need a heart check because true worship comes from the heart. When I get distracted with the worldly side of the holidays I lose my fellowship with the Lord.

“If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13

How encouraging though, to be reminded that even though I may get distracted, God is still faithful. He is always willing and ready to give us mercy and grace. He forgives us when we get busy and too invested in things of this world. Thank God that we have the Holy Spirit to draw us back and remind us that God is worthy of our praise and thankfulness!

So I just want to encourage you this holiday season to stay in the word, pray without ceasing, and be obedient to the guidance of the Holy Spirit! As soon as your eyes open every morning take a moment to praise and thank God for His blessings. Even during hard times we need to trust that He will care for us and sustain us and all of our needs.

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” Psalm 100:4

Some friends and I were talking about hurts and struggles and hard things a few weeks ago and one pointed out that in the midst of it all I still have noticeable joy. She got me thinking and praying about how my joy comes from my hope in God. So maybe you’re in the midst of hurts and struggles and hard things too. I hope this finds and encourages you. 

We live in a broken world full of broken people. And broken people tend to break other people. That might look like a broken heart, a broken promise, broken trust, or broken dreams. Just to name a few. 

But unlike how a broken bone is visible to others and invites them in to your suffering, this kind of broken is often only seen and felt by the broken one. It’s consuming. And crushing. And suffocating. And heart-wrenching. Again, just to name a few.

But I’m here to tell you that God sees.

Believe me when I say I stand on the ledge of brokenness, close my eyes, stretch out my arms, take a deep breath, and hope to fall sometimes daily. And if you can’t believe that, I point you back to the fact that brokenness isn’t something people walk around with on display with a bright colored cast wrapped around it. It’s rarely seen. 

But God sees. 

And in Him, our broken doesn’t have to mean hopeless. That doesn’t mean we’ll never be broken. It means we have hope in our brokenness. 

He’s the hope that climbs up and meets us on that ledge. He’s the hope that takes our closed eyes and says look at me, I see you. He’s the hope that takes our outstretched arms and wraps his love around us. He’s the hope that takes our every breath and breathes life back into us. He’s the hope that is there to catch us every time we feel like falling.

And if nothing can ever take our God from us, then our broken can never take our hope. 

And that gives me joy.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:”

Psalms 103:2 NKJV

I have a sweet friend who oftentimes quotes this verse in prayer. It has made me be more grateful for His benefits, but maybe more importantly to put those benefits to use in my life. 

The benefits I receive as a follower of Christ are too many to name. Unlike the promises of the world that are empty and lead to destruction the benefits I receive as a believer are life giving. 

Here are a few of my favorites, grace, mercy, salvation despite my sin, peace when chaos swirls, joy in the midst of heartache, strength when I am weak, a complete suit of armor for daily battles, a Tutor that helps with the instruction manual, and a huge worldwide family of brothers and sisters to live, serve, fellowship and go into battle with. 

The Lord tells us not to forget. He knows we get overwhelmed. He knows life can be hard.  He wants us to remember that He loves us and has a plan for us. Thankfully His benefit package has been in place since He created the world and it overwhelms me to think of all the generations that have depended on the same promises. He is a good, good Father. 

Lord in the midst of all the crazy help me to forget not Your benefits. 🙏🏻

A few months ago I decided to get a pre-vacation manicure. Against my better judgment I agreed to allow the technician to do a gel manicure. My nails looked beautifully flawless for vacation, so initially I was happy. Then, after a few weeks, it was time for the polish to come off, and that is where the trouble began. After the process to remove the polish my normally thick and healthy nails were left damaged and thin. They looked terrible and even my attempt to cover them with plain polish was only mildly successful. 

 

Now, my damaged nails are growing out and slowly being replaced by healthy ones. I was looking at my slowly transforming nails one day, seeing the stark difference between the old and scarred versus smooth and new as they gradually grew out. I realized I was looking at a visual representation of how slow healing often is. This transformation I was witnessing on my hands was not so different from the one that occurs in our minds and hearts when we heal from past hurts. 

 

About a year ago I started therapy and the first thing we did was uncover the past. I was there to have a better future, a healthier mind and heart going forward, and I didn’t want to look back at the past. “I’m not here to talk about that,” I thought. But, as we exposed broken thought patterns and the roots of some of my unhealthy ways I began to see why it’s important to remove not only the source of the trauma but anything we use to cover it up. Over time, through therapy and Jesus, I have learned to break the cycle of harmful thought patterns and overcome the past. Healing my mind and heart is a process, and still in progress, but I can see it happening as clearly as I see the change in my fingernails.

 

We all need healing. Most of us are guilty of bad behavior from time to time, maybe more often than we would like. We lose our tempers with our loved ones or repeatedly make the same irresponsible decisions and either attempt to cover up our mistakes, or will our way into better choices. Sometimes the way to think and act differently today is to look back. Find out what is behind our sin and struggles, where and why they started. The hardest part of healing might be exposure, because we have to reveal the ugly truth to ourselves and others. But, just like a vain attempt to cover damaged fingernails, hiding and beautifying our wounds does nothing to heal them. Once the past is known and understood, a new way forward can be revealed. Eventually, with care and new growth, wounds are healed. 

 

Healing is slow, sometimes hard, and might even be painful in the process. We try to curate our hearts with self-help, self-soothing, and self-control, but there is only one true cure for our suffering: the love of Jesus. And, sometimes therapy helps us to understand and apply that love a little better. If you find yourself repeatedly struggling with the same thing, maybe it’s time to get help in exposing the root cause, removing any unhealthy covering, and finding a new and better way forward. 

 

Who/What is your shepherd?

A few years back our small group did a study on Psalm 23 and if I’m being honest, I wasn’t too excited about it, “Psalm 23, so cliché, I want some meat and potatoes” I thought. Little did I know it would become one of my favorite and most meaningful studies to date.

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

What encouragement. The psalmist, David, wrote Psalm 23 while in the Judean wilderness. I don’t know if you know much about the Judean wilderness, but it’s not filled with plush green pastures and still waters; it’s a dry, barren, desert land. David knew that regardless of his circumstances, when He was allowing the Lord to shepherd his life he didn’t have to worry, he could live from a place of rest and restoration, a place of comfort and confidence, knowing that not only would he be taken care of and provided for, but that the Lord would restoreth his soul and lead him in paths of righteousness for his own namesake. What encouragement, the Lord is never going to go against his word because he cares too much about his namesake; that to me is extremely encouraging and something to stand firm on. David knew that even though he might walk through the valley of the shadow of death, he wouldn’t fear because his Shepherd was providing for and protecting him.

Do you feel like you are living from a place of provision and rest? Do you feel like you are in plush green pastures, beside still waters? Or do you feel like you’re weary, exhausted, and living in a dry and barren desert land? Do you feel like your battery is on overdrive, unable to tell up from down with no time for genuine renewal?

Very quickly into this study, I realized I was not living from a place of restoration in Jesus, I was exhausted, spent, and quite frankly at my breaking point in almost every aspect of my life. I came to realize that in that season, the Lord was not my shepherd. Work, kids, expectations, and performance was not only shepherding my life, but it was sucking every ounce of life out of me.

As we prepare for the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, let me ask you, who or what are you allowing to shepherd your life? Let’s not allow the expectations of modern-day life to Shepherd us, let’s be intentional about allowing the Lord to Shepherd us. When the Lord is our Shepherd, not only are we able to live from a place of rest and restoration in Jesus, but there’s protection, provision, and confidence in the person and work of Christ.

Written by Britnee Barnes

“In him [Jesus] we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭11‬-‭14‬ 

The Lord has been speaking to my heart about the inheritance He has given us in His Kingdom. A few weeks ago, I read “The Parable of the Two Sons” found in Matthew 21:28-32 (if you have time, go read it!).

The sons were asked to work the ground of their own inheritance, to better their own future! As sons and daughters of God, through Jesus, we have been given an inheritance in the Kingdom of God, and we can choose to work the ground of our own inheritance.

It’s both a future and a present reality! We haven’t reached the full inheritance, but Ephesians 1:14 tells us that the Holy Spirit has been given to us as a “down payment” of our inheritance. How do we “work the ground” of our inheritance? Read the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 5, 6, and 7! Jesus lays out the reality of His Kingdom on earth—a Kingdom that seems upside down to the world. A Kingdom where the least is the greatest, where we turn the other cheek, where we die to ourselves to truly live.

I don’t deserve His mercy or grace, I don’t deserve His love, but still, He chooses to not only love me but to give me a part in His Kingdom. 😭🙌