Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide food for you.” So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the entrance of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, “Please get me a little water in a cup, so that I may drink.”
1 Kings 17:8‭-‬10 NASB2020

Christmas is a difficult time to be unemployed. Anytime of year is hard, but Christmas time with children is especially hard.

I began looking around the kitchen to see what I could bake for gifts. Our church had started a food pantry and gave us 10 lbs of flour and a large bag of oatmeal. I remember thinking at the time, how about some milk and eggs to go with it? Because I can’t feed my children with this.

Our neighbors had chickens and gave me several dozen eggs. I found some shortening I didn’t remember buying and began making cookies. I got some crayons and colored some lunch bags with Christmas trees. Before long, I had dozens of bags of cookies to give to neighbors, friends, and teachers.

Our landlords owned a company that usually drew names and exchanged gifts. This year, they unanimously voted to pool their money and buy groceries for the Gregory’s. I’ll never forget when the car backed up to our porch and bag after bag was unloaded onto our kitchen table.

A week later, the local Methodist church, which we didn’t even attend, dropped off wrapped Christmas gifts for our family. Someone else brought us a Christmas tree and helped set it up in our living room. We often comment that it was the best Christmas ever.

This is kinda fun remembering all the blessings. Hopefully, you’re remembering too. Write them down so you don’t forget and read them to your children and grandchildren. Keep the blessings alive and make new ones by doing them for others.

Sandy G

I am convinced that my God will fully satisfy every need you have, for I have seen the abundant riches of glory revealed to me through Jesus Christ!
Philippians 4:19 TPT

I’ve been prompted to write a blessing book, recording times of miraculous provision over the years. I got out a journal one of my grandchildren had given me for Christmas a few years ago. It was relatively empty. I wrote the word “blessings” at the top of the page, then as so often happens, got distracted and walked away.

Two days went by, and the nudge came back, write the blessings down. So I picked up my pen and wrote till my fingers went numb. I’ll share a portion, and hopefully, it won’t be too long.

In the early 80’s, we moved to a small town west of Lansing called Sunfield. It was just before our oldest daughter started school and we wanted to raise the girls in the country.

Our landlords lived next door and we became friends. He had grown up in the house we lived in, and they were adding on an entire new structure where His grandparents lived.

Within 6 months, Walt lost his job when the Bakery he had worked at for 12 years closed down. It was the beginning of the recession, and there were no jobs to be found anywhere. Very quickly, we ran through our savings, and he took a part-time job down the road for a meat market working 20 hours a week.

Our landlord came to us and asked if we’d be interested in painting the exterior of the house we lived in for 6 months of free rent. That was the beginning of notable provision.

To be continued tomorrow. In the meantime, how about writing down some of your blessings so they’re not forgotten.

Sandy G

But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things happen to you, in the latter days you will return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice.
Deuteronomy 4:29‭-‬30 NASB2020

I’ve been hearing a lot of comments from so many Christians that the world is doomed. There seems to be no hope for mankind. They say that it’s a sign that Jesus’s return is eminent.

Do I believe Jesus will come back for us? Yes! Do I believe it’s time yet? I hope not. Why? Because there are too many who are reachable and teachable and too few of us focused on that.

My goal is to pray for opportunities to influence others for Jesus. My goal, as should be all of ours, is not to focus on evil but to go about doing good and healing those who are oppressed.

I want to focus on light rather than darkness. I can only reflect what I daily stand in. If you’re with me in this, let’s stand together and be a great light that draws men to Jesus. Don’t verbally degrade what you see, but look for opportunities to direct the light of love, which changes hearts forever.

God has always used pressure to turn hearts. He will use these times to cause the hearts of people to turn back to Him.

Sandy G

“The true God is the Creator of all things. He is the owner and Lord of the heavenly realm and the earthly realm, and he doesn’t live in man-made temples. He supplies life and breath and all things to every living being. He doesn’t lack a thing that we mortals could supply for him, for he has all things and everything he needs. Acts 17:24‭-‬25 TPT

What are you waiting for? I believe that’s what the Lord is asking each of us. If you’re waiting on Him to do it all for you, think again. Everything was done when He died on the cross and rose from the grave.

With that act, He provided victory over every enemy, healing for every disease, provision for every need, it’s all been done. What are you waiting for?

He’s not going to die again. It’s a done deal. He sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding on your behalf. For what? So you will walk in the power He gave you. Sit at His feet and learn of Him for you are in dire need of direction, and the only way you’ll get it is by spending time in His presence.

He’s not a magician, He’s God! Unchangeable, undeniable, awesome, mighty, and powerful. He’s so good that He hid the treasure deep in His Word so that only those who seek Him will find Him. Deut 4:29

So what are you waiting for? Go after God with everything in you. Sit and be still, and hear the Word of the Lord. Phillipians 4:7, “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Sandy G

And Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here please, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 2 Kings 2:2 NASB2020

Elisha faithfully followed Elijah till the very end. After watching the strong and powerful relationship Elijah had with God, he was determined to have that for himself.

He desired to carry what Elijah carried. To become a container of the glory of God and demonstrate signs and wonders to His people.  He knew that he would become like who he aligned himself with.

Like Elisha with Elijah, we must also align ourselves with God. He can’t teach us if we don’t spend time with Him, in His word, learning His ways. We must hunger for His presence and allow ourselves to overflow onto others. It’s how disciples are made.

I want to be an influencer, causing others to want to be an influencer as well.

Sandy G

You cannot hate and be a Christian. Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and most important command. And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.”

If you claim that God is your Father, then love will be your very nature because 1st John 4:7-8 says, “Dear friends, we should love each other because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has become God’s child. And so everyone who loves knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love.”

There are a whole lot of people who confess God is their Father but hate. They say, “I don’t hate the person, I hate the sin!” But they don’t really know how to do that. Everyone is guilty, even me. But guess what? God loves us all; the rapist, the murderer, the gay, the Muslims, the lost, the found, the black, the white, the liar, the abuser, the lawyer, the politicians.

Jesus died for all sin and all sinners. It was a gift God gave us, His Son, to die for our past, present, and future sins. The ONLY thing we must do is this; Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, and your house! That’s it! Then, He sends the Holy Spirit to do the clean-up work and leads us into the truth. Not for you to take on the role of the Holy Spirit! But to love so that He can do His perfect work in us.

Love covers, it doesn’t expose! So do your part in the love game. Pray for one another so that you might be saved because what you do to others will come back to you.

Sandy G

Lay aside bitter words, temper tantrums, revenge, profanity, and insults. But instead be kind and affectionate toward one another. Has God graciously forgiven you? Then graciously forgive one another in the depths of Christ’s love. Ephesians 4:31‭-‬32 TPT

Unforgiveness is like a wound that’s hidden under the skin but keeps leaching toxins into your bloodstream. It affects you more than you realize.

It’s those hidden things that we’ve buried instead of dealing with that create infections that must be treated or can cause terrible damage. Sometimes, it needs to be lanced, drained & cleaned so that healing can happen from the inside out.

Just because you can’t see it on the skin doesn’t mean it’s not there. Examine your heart, lay it all in Gods very capable hands.

Sometimes, pain has purpose! It exposes the things that hinder you from walking in the love of God.

Sandy G

God’s your Guardian, right at your side to protect you—Shielding you from sunstroke, sheltering you from moonstroke. God guards you from every evil. He guards your very life. He guards you when you leave, and when you return, he guards you now, and he guards you always. Psalm 121:5-8 MSG

Get the picture? He’s all around you, above you, beneath you, in you, there is absolutely no way to get away from the fact that God is all about taking care of you. There’s no reason for you to think you’re ever alone, He’s there.

You simply can’t go by how you feel. The more you focus on feelings, the less time you focus on God. The devil will always try to distract you from your purpose. Shake it off! Gods got this! Place it in his VERY capable hands and renew your mind in the Word. Begin to speak it out loud. Declare it to the mountain, “God has this! He’s my Guardian! My steps are ordered, so back off devil! I will watch as my deliverer wipes the floor with you!”

Remember who you are. You’re a child of a mighty Guardian God. If that doesn’t empower you, I don’t know what will.

Sandy G

I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely. Psalm 63:6-8 NLT

Am I the only one who does this? The laying awake at night part? What do you do with your awake moments?

You may ask why I get so into this worship thing I do. Let me just say this, the more I think on the Lord and all He’s done for me, I just get slap happy. Yeah, I want to slap Walt, but he’s not a morning person and would slap me back! I just get so happy, so excited.

I remember the night before I got married, I lay in bed thinking about it, wondering,(well, wondering if Walt was actually going to show up!) I was excited and couldn’t wait for my long awaited day to arrive.

When I wake in the morning and God is on my mind and I begin to think of my life with Him, how exciting it’s been, wondering what His plans hold for me today, sometimes I can’t go back to sleep. I just want to jump up and tell someone, “Look, it’s gonna be an awesome day because GOD is in it!”

It doesn’t matter what I face, I’m under the shadow of His Wing. That ugly devil can’t touch this! If he tries, my Father will slap him silly!

We have to trust God! He has a plan, and we’re in it! Don’t worry about your life, your health, your finances, your children, your job. Put your trust in God, He’s got this!

Hold your hands in front of you, palms up. Now offer it to the Lord. Say, “Here’s what’s bothering me, and it’s so silly for both of us to carry it. I trust you!” Then begin to remind Him of all He’s done in the past for you, get happy and worship Him.

He’s my life, my light, my joy, my help, my healer, my deliverer, my strong tower, my keeper, the lifter of my head, and my glory. Do you sense His presence? The more you talk of His greatness, it’s like cranking up the power to a light bulb. It just gets brighter and brighter and brighter.

I’m bursting, God. Your goodness is overwhelming!

Sandy G

Time to take the limits off!

You’ve allowed your limited thinking to determine your destiny for far too long! You plan trips based on your bank account. You’ve allowed your mind to disallow Gods purpose for your life because you qualified yourself based on your lack of education or experience.

Let me ask you this; is the God in you limited? You say no, and yet you have limited Him. How have you limited Him? Are you laying hands on the sick? Raising the dead? Giving everything you have to the poor? When you only do what you feel you’re capable of doing, you’re limiting God.

The God of limitlessness lives in you and you don’t trust in His ability to do anything other then what you are comfortable with. Oh, you pay your 10%, but when He says, “Risk it all!” You conveniently block that voice out of your head. “I need it for bills,” when He said He’d supply ALL your needs according to HIS riches.

You see where I’m going here? We’ve limited God based on what we see instead of what we should know about the God who’s in us. We have become passive and safe instead of aggressive and risk-takers.

According to Matthew 25 18-29, Jesus will return for what is His and what we do with what He’s given us, we will give account of. He will ask you, “What did you do with the talents and abilities I gave you?” Hear me today! It’s time we stopped making excuses and stepped up and walked in the power of the Holy Spirit in us.

Trust me when I say this; “I knew you were a mean God and would come back some day and want your powerful Holy Spirit back so here it is. I never used it because! Here it is just the way you gave it to me.” That’s not the answer He’s after.

He will be pleased to hear; “Father, I invested what I had in me into others, trusting you to multiply it. I was faithful with the little, here is yours with interest.” He will say to you, “Thank you faithful one, enter into the joy of the Lord.”

I would rather live on the edge of danger than in a safe and small place. I’d rather look and sound a fool, then never open my mouth and speak His truth in love. I’d rather sit under an open sky than in a box of my own making. There is so much power in me that to harness it would deprive the world around me of light yet undiscovered. What about you?

Sandy G