Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Mark 9:23-24

I’ve struggled with this scripture for years. How can you believe and have unbelief at the same time? Because our mind is where the devil plays. He plays out movies of the most horrendous accident with your children in the car. He plants doubt: “Others may get their healing, but you won’t”. So even though this father came to Jesus for his sons healing knowing that Jesus COULD heal him, I believe the unbelief part was, WOULD He?

Satan is constantly trying to convince us that we’re not good enough, holy enough, ‘Christian’ enough, but the grace to heal doesn’t come by our works, it’s a gift and there’s only one way to get a gift, just receive it. Walking around sick doesn’t glorify God, walking in health does. No wonder satan tries so desperately to keep us sick & broke with words that reflect our thought life.

Speaking what you see isn’t faith, speaking things that be not as though they are, that is faith. Jesus said to SAY to impossible things (mountain), “Be gone!” don’t doubt in your heart but believe that what you say is done and it will happen. (Mark 11:23) We say it, then we doubt. Thats being double minded and James 1:8 says we’re unstable in everything.

So how do I win over my thought life? Be renewing my mind in the Word of God. Bringing my thoughts under subjection of the Word. The Lord showed me that if I measure all my thoughts with the Word, I will know which ones to keep and which to throw away.

Do you see why it’s so important to know the Word? John 8:32 says, “You shall know the TRUTH and the TRUTH shall make you free.” There is nothing more true than the Word of God.

So Lord, I purpose to keep my thoughts in check. Philippians 4:8 NLT “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

Remember this: We serve a ‘more than enough’ God, not a ‘just enough’ God, and He’s no respecter of persons.

Sandy G

Psalm 37:7-Be still in the presence of the Lord and wait patiently for him to act.

These are two very difficult things for me to do; Be still and wait patiently for Him to act. I think it’s my ‘get-er-done’ attitude that gets so far out of hand at times. Either that or I tend to talk when I should be listening. I think from the moment I learned to talk, I never stopped.

Yet when I sit in the presence of the Lord, there is such peace and contentment. It must become a dire need each day to begin my day in the stillness of His presence. To hear His sweet voice whisper, ‘Good morning, daughter!’ makes my heart leap with joy. One word from Him changes everything.

May my mind remain in this place of stillness today as my duties at my job threaten to steal my peace. And may He find me here again in the morning, listening, waiting patiently for Him to act.

Have a great day!

Sandy G

O Lord, our Lord, the majesty of your name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. You have taught children and nursing infants to give you praise. They silence your enemies who were seeking revenge. Psalm 8:1-2

Think about the power of praise! Children & infants praising God will silence your enemies. I think of the many times when Israel sent the praisers into battle first. It must set the enemies teeth on edge every time he hears God’s children worship.

Praise must make you fearless too because I can’t imagine being on the front in war with a trumpet as Gideon was.

Praise paralyses opposition. I can still see my mom in the middle of very extreme situations as she lifted her hands and praised, saying, “Glory, glory, glory, glory, glory!” Praise gets the attention of God. He will always respond and rescue those who praise His Name!

Perhaps you are facing an obstacle today, praise your way through, God will show you a way out. We lift our voices this morning in radical praise to the only God who is worthy! All glory to your name. Nothing is too difficult for you!

Sandy G

Lord, how they have increased who trouble me!
Many are they who rise up against me.
Many are they who say of me,
“There is no help for him in God.” Selah

But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
I cried to the Lord with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah

I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.
I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around.

Arise, O Lord;
Save me, O my God!
For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone;
You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.
Salvation belongs to the Lord.
Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah Psalm 3

As I scrolled through my social media page, this Psalm came to my mind. All of the naysayers, those who can’t see past the ends of their noses need to be reminded of this today. The Lord will be a shield to those who cry out to Him, who look to Him and remember who He is.

Whenever there is a crisis, I look back to what God has done for me in the past and I know He is the God of my future. His plans for me are to give me a future, a hope, to always prosper me and give me good success. His salvation would not be as noticed as much if it were in good times. No, the darker the night, the more appreciated is the light.

I’m sure you’ve experienced extremely dark times. Just looking at the gas prices can cause you to panic. But the God we serve is bigger than all of that. It’s not even a blip on His radar. He’s not disturbed by what’s going on in our economy because He’s never changed His mind about you. You are His and He will always provide for you. And He cares about the small things too.

Just the other day I was concerned that I wouldn’t have had enough to finish a project I had started. I had counted the cost and had plenty to get it done, but the prices shot up and I began to 2nd guess myself. Not only that, but a plumbing issue came up and I began to feel overwhelmed. Just like that I heard the Holy Spirit whisper, “You are mine and I take care of my own.”

My response was immediate, “Yes, why yes You do! You have never failed me yet. I was prompted by You to do this in the first place and You always finish what You start. You’re not affected by this worlds economy. Your Kingdom come! Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven!”

Suddenly it happened. First a trickle, then a flood, but the job is nearly finished and with enough to finish the 2nd part of the project as well. God is forever a faithful and loving Father.

Don’t Forget Today,

Sandy G

Have you been longing for a word from the Lord this morning? I’m not sure what you’re facing, but please know that you don’t have to face it alone because God is with you. Here’s what I ran across in my morning read;

Isaiah 54:10, “The mountains may disappear, and the hills may become dust, but my faithful love will never leave you. I will make peace with you, and it will never end.” The Lord who loves you said this.

I don’t know about you, but I needed that! It doesn’t matter what happens around you, His faithful love will never leave you. Just close your eyes for a moment and say, “Father, thank you for your faithful love. You DO love me! It’s a constant thing, this love of Yours. Thank you for lavishing Your love on me. Let me love you back, Father. Let me just run and jump into Your big lap and wrap my arms around You. I want to soak in Your love this morning.”

Now let His peace envelope your soul. Let it wash over you like a gentle waterfall, washing away all the cares and worries of the week.

“Peace, Peace, Wonderful Peace, coming down from the Father above. Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray. In fathomless billows of love.”

Aren’t you glad that His love isn’t dependent on your performance? It’s based on what Jesus did on the cross. We don’t have to do anything to deserve it, we just have to receive it. It’s the only free thing given to us ever, but it cost the Father everything.

Father, I owe you my life. Just sitting in Your presence this morning has washed from me of all the stress, cares and worries I’ve picked up throughout the week. Your love is so rich and so deep it takes my breath away. As the sun rises in the east and a new day is dawning, may I continue to allow Your love and peace to stay with me. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Sandy G

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3 NLT

Perfect peace can’t be found in a sunset, a vacation or even a song. Perfect peace is found only when we step into the presence of the God who loves us. When we fix our gaze on Him and place our hand in His hand, the whole world could be falling apart around us, but He will shelter us.

I’m reminded of the verse in Psalm 91 that says, “A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.” We’ll be in full view of it, but that trust we have in God, takes all fear away.

When we stand under the umbrella of trust, everything changes. It could be a torrential downpour, but we won’t even get wet. When I begin to feel the water, I snug myself up under His sheltering arm where I remain safe and dry.

It’s not easy to trust in something unseen when the things that are seen are blazingly in your face. It’s a practiced thing, knowing that each time I do, it gets easier and easier to do it the next time. It’s not that I won’t face problems, I won’t be discouraged or hurt or in pain, it’s that I can’t do a thing about it so I may as well walk myself back under His shelter and trust in His ability rather than mine!

Be At Peace,

Sandy G

Rm 8:14-28 NLT was my reading this morning. I’ve read this thousands of times. It’s highlighted, underlined & worn, but this morning when I read it I got so excited. Let me just share a couple thoughts with you.

Verses 19-24. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are (I believe we are living in that day). All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We too wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us. Now that we are saved, we eagerly look forward to this freedom. For if you already have something, you don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently.

Verse 26: And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

I know I’m going out on a limb here, but this is not a sweet by and by promise. God wants us to live like this in this age to usher in the return of Christ. I have felt an increase in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit like never before. I have felt I’m giving birth to some pretty intense things. This bears witness in me that we are indeed living in the age Paul was speaking about in these verses. Please don’t let religious mindsets keep you from allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to your spirit. It’s time to BREATHE BREATHE BREATHE PUSH!!!

Sandy G

Philippians 3:12 ESV “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”

That is reason enough to keep going after God. To spend time with him every morning, thinking on Him throughout the day and rejoicing in Him at night. My walk with God is mine alone. My search for Him is like a treasure hunter who gives all she has for that one prize.

You may observe my walk, but you’ll never make my walk your own. No, my friend, your own treasure awaits you. It lies hidden beneath the pages of Gods Word, waiting for your fingers to find, your eyes to see, your heart to understand.

How sad that some will never see. I’m sure it grieves the heart of Father that He has children who don’t want to know Him, don’t want to spend time with Him, don’t call out to Him. The only time they use His name is to curse, or as a by-word. They don’t know that His name is above all names. They don’t understand the power behind it nor the grace that comes with it.

I’ve been touched by that nail pierced hand! That blood He shed has covered me, kept me from harm and the evil plans of my enemies. I’ve felt His presence rush in to surround me when I mention His name, when I’m afraid or when I speak it in love. I may not be perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Jesus made me His own. You may not understand why I am the way I am. Don’t judge me, I’m just pressing deeper into my Fathers arms because that is where my treasure abides.

Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:

TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.

Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. Acts 17:22-25

I love how Paul introduced the only living God to the men of Athens. He took their own admission, and turned into a vivid picture of Yahweh, the God who was, who is, and who is to come.

There was a time in our own nation, where most everyone had heard of God. They may not have had personal relationship with Him, but they were aware of Him, respected Him and reverentially feared Him. Today, I’m saddened that so many are unaware of this God we serve. It’s as if He’s faded into the shadows they’ve created by loving this world and all it has to offer.

If you’ve stumbled across this blog and have never been introduced, let me do so now. From before the beginning of time, God, the creator who created you in His image and likeness, did so for the sole purpose of having relationship with you. His desire was for you to carry on, ruling and reigning over evil as He made you to do.

He sent His Son, Jesus, to show you how much the Father loves you and longs to care for you. To show you what unconditional love looks like and how to offer forgiveness to those around you. You only need to believe on Jesus and you will be His. He’s given you His Spirit to live in you and show you the way to live.

Simply ask, “Jesus, I too want relationship with the Father who loves me. I believe You are the Unknown God who wants to make Himself known to me. Forgive me of all my sins. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I may walk in greater wisdom and understanding of Your ways. I give You access to my life so that I may be a reflection of Your love in the earth and learn to be the person You created me to be. It’s in Jesus’ name I ask this. Amen”

Welcome to the Family,

Sandy G

Psalm 77:2-6 MSG: I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord: my life was an open wound that wouldn’t heal. When friends said, “Everything will turn out all right,” I didn’t believe a word they said.
I remember God—and shake my head. I bow my head—then wring my hands.
I’m awake all night—not a wink of sleep; I can’t even say what’s bothering me.
I go over the days one by one; I ponder the years gone by. I strum my lute all through the night, wondering how to get my life together.

Ever felt like that? Lay awake all night long, rehearsing the past, focusing on what you’ve done? Wondering why you feel alone, rejected, forsaken? Calling out to God for help only to hear your prayers return from the ceiling above you?

David did. Sometimes I wonder if he would have started this Psalm as he finished it, focusing on the God who delivers, who saves, who heals, if possibly his night would have gone a little differently. Verses 11-12 says, “Once again I’ll go over what God has done,
lay out on the table the ancient wonders;
I’ll ponder all the things you’ve accomplished,
and give a long, loving look at your acts.”

Perhaps if we would begin our night by talking of his goodness and faithfulness, the many times he showed up and showed off. If we were to look back for just a little while the day we invited him into our lives. Remember when your life was a mess? He rescued you! Set you free from condemnation and reproached. You were judged guilty and sentenced to death, but he pardoned you and let you off from a life sentence. WOW! That alone makes me want to shout!

Lord, may we never forget that even in our ups and downs, our lack of trust, you never leave or forsake us. You comfort us and keep us in all our ways. You’re not a demanding God. You don’t force us to serve you. you let us choose. Help us to stop fretting and worrying and just surrender all our cares to you. It’s in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.