ENCOURAGEMENT | Terri's Wellspring

Ready for His Day

21 01 2015

This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 NLT

Are you ready for His day? Did you wake up with gratitude on your heart? Are you feeling blessed and empowered this morning? This is another day that the Lord has made. We can face the day with gladness. You may have a full day planned with lots of tasks ahead. We can take a moment to thank the Lord and reflect on His goodness. Just take a few minutes to think about His grace and mercy that has brought us this far. We can thank Him for His continued faithfulness to be with us. We can invite Him into our day ahead. We can allow the Holy Spirit to direct the details of today; our words and our steps. Peace and joy will permeate our hearts when our focus is on Him. This is the day that the Lord has created for us. We welcome today with gladness and thanksgiving.

Thank you for responding to me; you’ve truly become my salvation! The stone the masons discarded as flawed is now the capstone! This is God’s work. We rub our eyes—we can hardly believe it! This is the very day God acted— let’s celebrate and be festive! Salvation now, God. Salvation now! Oh yes, God—a free and full life!

Psalm 118:21-25 MSG

Surrounded

16 01 2015

Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning,

for I am trusting you.

Show me where to walk,

for I give myself to you. Psalm 143:8 NLT

We can set the atmosphere for our daily living. I feel like I am at my best when I take the time to set the stage for my day. A good start begins with a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord for another day; just taking a few moments before anything else to invite the Holy Spirit into my day. Taking a brief time of thanksgiving and stillness in God to reflect on His goodness and His power makes all the difference. My office and my car are places of peace where I listen to uplifting messages or encouraging music. Inspirational notes and pictures of loved ones adorn my desk that keeps a smile on my face. They are visual reminders of God’s blessings to me. Throughout the day, I can keep soft music or something edifying playing in the background. I want to surround myself with peace and reminders of Him.

I am thankful for this time and this place in my life. I am thankful for the opportunity to surround my life with reminders of His love, mercy and goodness to me. I praise God for another day. I bless His Holy name for a day ahead filled with love, peace and joy that flows from Him.

Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Psalm 103: 1-2

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Tags: Psalm 103:1-2, Psalm 143:8, Surrounded
Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT, GUIDANCE

Launching Time

5 01 2015

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! II Corinthians 5:17

New beginnings start with a new year, a new week and each new day. We can wake up and thank God that He has allowed us to see another day. The Lord is good and He has a purpose and assignment for each of us. It is our responsibility to seek His face to align our goals with His will for our lives. His plans far exceed what we can imagine. His plan includes walking in purpose, achieving His eternal assignments and the experience of love, peace and joy. We may be a great distance from where we want to be in many aspects of our lives. Our relationships, finances, health and spiritual condition may be in disarray and seemingly in an irreparable state. We can thank God now that He is the eternal change agent in our lives that can transform each situation, when we turn it over to Him. We can release our families, marriages, finances, employment and each concern of our hearts over to Him. He is able. As we launch this day, this week and this year. Let us step out on faith toward Him; seeking His will for lives in Him, through Him and for His glory.

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Tags: Launching Time
Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT

Strong Start

1 01 2015

“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.” Joshua 1:6-8
Launching a new year we want to start out strong. We want our initial days to set a firm foundation to allow us to thrive in the year ahead. In our heart, mind and soul, we want to be strong in our faith and in our determination to walk in His purpose for our lives. The passage for today is a reminder of the Lord’s instructions to Joshua as he moves into leadership of God’s people. Joshua is called to be both strong and courageous. I believe each of us is called to be strong and courageous in our walk with the Lord. Strong in our faith and confident in the God that we serve. We can place our trust fully in Him to lead us, to guide us and to provide strength when we need it. Even when our strength falls short, His strength is perfected in our weakness. Courage requires healthy doses of confidence to walk were the Lord is leading and to stand flat-footed in the face of adversity. We can stand strong when we are careful to obey God’s Word and to stay focused on His path for us ahead. Detours to the left or to the right create havoc in our lives. We are proclaiming strength and courage today to walk in His purpose. We are proclaiming clear focus on His leading and His Word. We will be strong and courageous in 2015.

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Tags: Strong Start
Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT

A Fresh Start

31 12 2014

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. II Corinthians 5:17

A new year starts tomorrow. It is a blessing to be able to turn the page and have fresh start. I am thankful that God provides increments of time where we can start anew. The 24 hours that make a day, the 7 days that comprise a week or the 12 months that make a year allow us to consider time in smaller doses that cumulatively make up our lifetime. The ability to begin again in a new year is a special progression of time. For many it is a time to celebrate and to consider a fresh start.

I am thankful for the year past and the year to come. We all get another chance to embark on a new year where we can seek to achieve God’s will in our lives. It is a time to dedicate or rededicate our lives to Our Heavenly Father. In Him, we receive a new chance and a fresh start to live in relationship with His Son Jesus Christ. We all get another chance to focus on the “one another” commandments. Love one another, Pray for One another, Be at Peace with Each Other and to Encourage one another. We all get another chance to listen for God’s voice and to follow His leading. He is speaking. We all get to put bad habits aside and seek to run our race with more focus and determination to accomplish our purpose in Him. I am thankful that we all get a fresh start.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. Hebrews 12:1-3

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Tags: A Fresh Start, Hebrews 12:1-3, II Corinthians 5:17
Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT

Soar

19 12 2014

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

A walk by faith may have some legs on the journey where we feel tired. We may feel bodily pains that are contrary to healing or fatigue in our minds that zaps our zeal for the day ahead. This passage from Isaiah reminds us to keep our trust in the Lord. Not in what you see today and not even in what you feel but keep your trust in Him. He is the source of our strength and a very present help when we need Him. I thank God for a soaring spirit that comes when we rest in Him. He will provide new strength, new energy when we put our trust in Him. We can run and walk and continue on the journey strong.

Why would you ever complain, O Jacob,
    or, whine, Israel, saying,
“God has lost track of me.
    He doesn’t care what happens to me”?
Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening?
God doesn’t come and go. God lasts.
He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath.
    And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired,
    gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
    young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
    They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
    they walk and don’t lag behind.

Isaiah 40:27-31MSG

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Tags: Soar
Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT

God is with Us

11 12 2014

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’) Isaiah 7:14

One of my favorite Christmas songs is “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”. The words reflect the great anticipation of Jesus’ birth. It expresses a great desire for God’s Son to come and to dwell among His people. I am so thankful that each day we have the opportunity for God to live with us and in us through a relationship with His Son Jesus Christ. We know that the promise in Isaiah was fulfilled and Jesus was born and He died and rose again for our sins. What an awesome gift that God is with Us!

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Tags: God is With Us, Isaiah 7:14
Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT, FAITH

Just Keep Swimming

10 12 2014

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9 (New Living Translation)

“Finding Nemo” is one of my favorite movies. It is a story about a fictional father fish whose worst fear comes to past when he loses his son “Nemo”. Most of the movie is about his journey to find Nemo, despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles in the life of a big ocean. The movie was made for children and for adults like me who like to find encouragement in most things. During this voyage, the father must overcome fear, keep the faith and trust others to help him. At various points in the story when things seem to be at their worst, his companion on the search for Nemo, keeps repeating the mantra, “Just keep Swimming”. When I ever I hear this phrase, I am reminded the importance of perseverance, resiliency and the need to keep moving forward. Things do get better when we keep putting one foot in front of another and “swim”. Of course, I love happy endings and this movie concludes with a happy reunion but both father and son learn a lifetime of lessons on the journey, especially to “Just keep Swimming”.

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Tags: Just Keep Swimming
Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT, FAITH

Hiking Season

9 12 2014

Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow.

Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me.

All day long I put my hope in you. Psalm 25:4-5

This season is full of twists and turns, with some sharp bends in the road that I did not see what was around the corner. Our path is a journey that I have likened more to hiking in a mountain forest than a Sunday walk in the park. As believers we are challenged to seek God’s leading and to listen for the guiding of the Holy Spirit, who provides the gentle whispering winds of which way to go. The path is rugged, requiring strong muscles of faith in our legs, in our hearts and minds to continue to move forward. We have to remember to breathe in and out, creating more opportunities for our heart muscle to become stronger. We have to use all of our senses, listening for God in unfamiliar territory and careful to avoid the stench of discouragement. We have to reach out to others who can help us along the way and take every opportunity to encourage each other in the Lord. We may meet strangers along the path creating an open door for others to join the journey. Using our love with His light, they are more apt to walk the path with us. The enemy may desire to sift us like wheat but Jesus has prayed for us that our faith would endure and that we would not give in or give out. Our savior has prayed for us that our Faith would not fail. We are encouraged to stay on the path, even when it is hard, when it is dark and even when we are tired. We can be assured even in uncertainty of the next stretch on the journey, our God promises to be with us every step of the way and that victory is at the end of the road.

“Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat. Simon, I’ve prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start.” Luke 22:31-32

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Tags: Hiking Season, Psalm 25:4-5
Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT

Love Lifted Me

17 11 2014

“Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” Matthew 14:29-31

“Love lifted me, Love lifted me, when nothing else could help, Love lifted me”

The words to this song have been a source of encouragement for as long as I can remember. I can recall my grandfather joining in this congregational song with so much vitality. I believe it was reminder to him and to me about God’s faithfulness and his ability to elevate us from any lowly place. Whether we are discouraged or need the transformative power of salvation, Jesus is able to lift us higher. It could be that we are facing a personal storm in our life but our God is able to rescue us. This is a time to trust Him. This is a time to hold tightly to His hand. As we put our trust in Him, He is able to lift us from the angry waves. Love can lift us up to take us higher.

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more, But the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry, From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

“Love lifted me, Love lifted me, when nothing else could help, Love lifted me”

Words James Rowe, Music Howard Smith

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Tags: Love Lifted Me
Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT

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