Sufficient

21 09 2015

DSCF0398But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.    II Corinthians 12:9

Whatever today brings it is what the Lord has provided and it is sufficient for me.  The list of things I have to be thankful for far outweigh my faith wish list.  God has provided this day, this time and this place for me.  I am so thankful for every blessing.  The peace in my heart, the love He has for His children provides joy and confidence that He is working things out for my good.  It is a good day to employ contentment and to immerse my thoughts into the goodness of God’s grace.  It is sufficient for me.

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.  II Corinthians 12:7-10 MSG





My Hope is in You

16 09 2015

DSC_1054Show 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

Walking in faith requires strength and endurance. While the Lord has been faithful to provide direction along the journey, this season has been full of the unexpected. Much like a winding road, I have encountered curves, twists and even rest stops. The Lord met my need each step of the way. This experience has made me stronger and provided the liberty to move in peace.  I am thankful to God that we can put our hope, our trust and faith in Him. In a place of hope, we can expect God’s best on behalf of His children. A strong trust gives us the confidence and boldness to move when and where He directs. Our faith in God makes our journey possible. My Hope today is that God will do exceedingly, abundantly above and beyond all that we can ask or think.





Stay in Faith

14 09 2015
Terri in Barcelona

Terri in Barcelona

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 New Living Translation

You may be in a season where situations of what you see and hear seem so contrary to the desires for our lives. Brokenness in relationships, finances, jobs and health seem so common place. As believers we are compelled to stay in faith. It is easy to say our trust is in the Lord, when everything is moving along fine. The challenge comes when we appear to be troubled on every side. Is our first response to recall the promises of God? Do we remember that He will supply our needs, or that He will keep us in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him? Do we remember that He said that He would rebuke the devourer for our sakes? Do we know in our heart that Jesus is our Healer? Do we walk in the knowledge that He is God and He is in Control? I am working on basing my first response on His word. Staying in faith He provides the strength, courage and peace that we need. He is faithful to be with us every step of the way. We give Him the Honor and the Glory for each blessing.





I have all that I need…

9 09 2015

DSC_0630The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.

He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.

He renews my strength.

He guides me along right paths,bringing honor to his name.

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.

You honor me by anointing my head with oil.     

My cup overflows with blessings.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,

and I will live in the house of the Lord  forever.

Psalm 23 NLT





A Fresh Start

3 08 2015

IMG_0160Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2

We have entered the eighth month of the year.  The number eight signifies new beginnings. I am thankful that even though it is near the end of summer, we can experience a fresh start.   I need a fresh start with a renewed mind and spirit.  I am so thankful that the Lord can provide a revival for my soul.  He is faithful to give me a fresh vision for my life.  It requires faith on my part.  It requires discipline on my part to adopt the daily practices that will keep me healthy and strong in Him.  Prayer, meditation, praise and living by His word are my commitments for everyday living.  I am grateful that no matter what has brought us to this day and time, we can repent to the Lord and He is faithful and just to forgive us. Repentance is a place of sharing our regret and turning in a new direction. I am thankful today for a fresh start in Him.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9

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





Wait on the Lord

29 07 2015

walking encouragedWait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. Psalm 27:14  

At times the answers to our petitions are elusive.  We have prayed and we stand in a place of faith and yet we wait.  We wait for the Lord to manifest himself in the situation that may be difficult and weighs heavily on our heart. We go through periods of great strength followed by moments of uncertainty about how things will turn out.  It is a time of testing to strengthen our faith in our Heavenly Father who is in control of all things.  It is a time for building our faith.  It is a time to surround ourselves with the things of God, His Word, songs of praise and the testimonies of the faithful.  While we wait, we seek to be steadfast and unmoveable in Him.  God is most worthy of our trust.  We can be brave and courageous.  He is working everything together for our good.  We can wait patiently on the Lord. 

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:14





Nurturing my Faith

24 07 2015

TDSC_0002he apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.”

The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and thrown into the sea,’ and it would obey you! 

St. Luke 17:5-6

I am nurturing my faith – my process of caring for and encouraging the growth of my solid trust in God.  I recognize that I am on a journey where I make decisions every day that can strengthen or discourage my faith. I choose to believe and trust in God. God is love and God loves me. His plan for me is a path of peace.  The day may bring uncertainty and challenge but I choose to trust in my Heavenly Father.  God is my Strong Tower.  He is my source of peace and strength in the midst of each day and every situation. I can put my full trust in God.  I seek to grow my faith with each experience reflecting on His grace and mercy that has brought me to now.  I am watering and feeding my faith with His Word and the testimonies of other faith travelers.  I am growing, nurturing and expanding my faith in Him.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6





Peace and Strength

6 07 2015

Tulip_-_floriade_canberraDon’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.   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.  Philippians 4:6-7

I need the Lord’s peace and strength.

Days come when we need the Holy Spirit to completely surround us.

We need the serenity that God provides for our hearts and minds.

In Him, we can find peace for our mind, body and soul to live and thrive.

I will open my heart to faith.  I will put my trust in the Lord.

I am thankful for this place of trusting, knowing that the Lord loves us and will never leave us alone.

He is working  it out for my good.

I am standing today, empowered by His peace and His strength.





Pray About Everything

1 07 2015

HydrangeasDon’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.   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.

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. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:6-9





Trust God

3 06 2015
Terri in Barcelona

Terri in Barcelona

 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
    Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
    your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
    give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
 your wine vats will brim over.
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
    don’t sulk under his loving correction.
It’s the child he loves that God corrects;
    a father’s delight is behind all this.

Proverbs 3:5-12