Terri's Wellspring

Keep Your Hearts and Minds

29 05 2012

Be full of joy in the Lord always. I will say again, be full of joy. Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon.Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks.And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.Do what you learned and received from me, what I told you, and what you saw me do. And the God who gives peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9

This passage of scripture has blessed me over and over again. During different seasons of my life, the Holy Spirit is gracious enough to remind me where our focus should be in daily living. We are so inundated with things that don’t reflect God, His word or His love. It is a source of discouragement, anxiety and depression if you choose to stay focused on it. Our God provides a perfect place for guiding our thoughts and our actions. It is a place where truth and peace abide for His children.

Dear Heavenly Father:

I thank You for this day. I thank You for all the blessings that have allowed me to come to this point in my life. As I move forward, I want to be focused on the truth of your word, which provides guidance and peace for each step in my life. Lord, where I have fallen short I ask for your merciful forgiveness. I am thankful for the promise of peace as I stay focused on You. Have your light and your love to shine bright today every place I go.

In Jesus name, Amen

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Categories : GUIDANCE

A Singing Heart

16 05 2012

So then, be very careful how you live. Don’t live like foolish people but like wise people. Make the most of your opportunities because these are evil days. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord wants. Don’t get drunk on wine, which leads to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Spirit by reciting psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs for your own good. Sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts. Always thank God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:15-20

Living according to God’s plan for our lives will allow our hearts to sing. It brings about an image of incredible peace and joy that is pleasing to God. We receive so many cues from the world that may not be based on God’s word or His pathway for living a blessed life. Our passage today is reminder of the importance of seeking God’s direction according to His word and His will for our lives. We need His wisdom to set the essential priorities for successful living. A prioritization of our time, our effort and our resources with our Heavenly Father as the lead creates the framework for a fulfilled life. I am so thankful to God for His blessings to me. I pray today for His wisdom to flow freely in my thinking and my decisions. And that I will have courage to follow Him where He leads. Creating the divine order in our priorities leads to a joyful heart that sings.

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Categories : JOY, Uncategorized

Love One Another

11 05 2012

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35

Grace has allowed us to live at this time, in this space with a measure of faith to be of service to God and to His people. Each of us has an assignment, something that God has called us to do. The calling for specific tasks may come in small whispers or booming voices through the Holy Spirit directly to our hearts. If we are careful to listen, tuning out the noise of this world, I believe the Lord is speaking all the time. He guides us to those who need their hearts lifted and need to experience hope in a meaningful way. Every day we can show love, encourage one another and promote peace. Being an example and reflective of Him will allow people to see Jesus more clearly in our words and actions.

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Categories : LOVE

Be Encouraged

9 05 2012

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:4 – 6

It can be easy to be consumed by the issues of the day. Each day has its own joy and challenges. We can approach blessed day with confidence and peace of God’s promises that:

He will provide direction;

He would guide our footsteps;

His Holy Spirit can give us the right words to say;

He will meet our needs as we put Him first;

He can provide protection in the midst of the storm.

A brighter day starts with rising of the sun and the Son of God, Jesus Christ in our lives.

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Categories : ENCOURAGEMENT, Uncategorized

Spring

9 04 2012

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Like the seasons of the calendar, we may experience different phases of our life. March marked the beginning of spring, a time where dead things become renewed. My prayer is for renewal today, a refreshing of hope, peace and purpose will overflow in our lives. I admit a season of winter had rested in my mind, body and heart. It was prolonged and challenging calling for a daily dose of faith, remembering God’s word and especially His love for me. His love for me is for today, as I am and the promise of my future through His word.

I believe seasons are designed to foster strength and stamina. I am thankful for each day and season the Lord provides. I welcome spring today. I embrace the eternal hope that it brings, the promise of new life that it holds and the clarity of vision of growth and purpose that comes with the rising of the sun.

He hath made everything beautiful in his time. Ecclesiastes 3:11

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Categories : REVITALIZATION, Uncategorized

A Heavy Load

27 03 2012

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. I Peter 5:7

Living in world full of people, we experience many things in life. As followers of Christ, we are always compelled to respond with our faith and trust in God. No matter what the situation, its magnitude and size, our Heavenly Father is greater than anything we face. Some challenges arrive on our doorstep, as a heavy load that burdens our hearts and minds. The weight sometimes clouds our vision and moves us in the wrong direction. I believe heavy loads are God’s area of expertise to help us. We can cast our care on him for He loves and cares for us. The all knowing God is able to work things out for our good. Our Father also provides a God-given peace along the way. Whatever we face today we can turn over our problems, our cares and even our heavy loads to God and leave them in His capable and loving hands.

Follow My teachings and learn from Me. I am gentle and do not have pride. You will have rest for your souls. For My way of carrying a load is easy and My load is not heavy. Matthew 11:29-30

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Categories : REFUGE, Uncategorized

God is Worthy!

6 03 2012

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?
Who can declare all His praise?
Blessed are those who keep justice,
And he who does righteousness at all times!

Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You have toward Your people.
Oh, visit me with Your salvation,
That I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones,
That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation,
That I may glory with Your inheritance.

Psalm 106:1-5

Our God is worthy of all of our praise. We can bless His Holy name with our words, with our deeds and our living. Our Father has blessed us with His grace, His mercy and has surrounded us with His love. I continue to be amazed at His blessings in my life. He is a wonderful Savior. Today, as we approach the day with everything that it will bring, we can offer our praise to God for who He is in our lives. We can praise Him for being our Heavenly Father. We can bless Him for His Greatness. We can praise Him for another opportunity to serve Him for another day. God is worthy of our praise.

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Categories : PRAISE, Uncategorized

Knowing the Difference

5 03 2012

The Serenity Prayer — God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen. –Reinhold Niebuhr

We have all heard it, read it and maybe even earnestly prayed the Serenity Prayer. Reinhold Niebuhr wrote these words during the first half or the 20th Century which continue to have timeless relevance today. It contains both insight and emphasis of the inevitable ambiguity of life events. We spend most of our time working to control our circumstance to make life manageable. It is those things that we can’t contain, schedule or control that represents a challenge to our faith. Recognition that some things happen that we simply have no control over is a step forward in acceptance. Other situations occur where we can make a difference. It may mean stepping out of our comfort zone but as believers we were sent to be change agents to accomplish God’s Holy will. Knowing the difference is the key.

God has good plans for our lives and He can take all the experiences of our lives good and bad and work them together for our good. Walking life’s journey, we are compelled to put our trust in our Heavenly Father. The Serenity Prayer is focuses on the peace that we can have along the way.

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’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 4:4-7

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Categories : PEACE, Uncategorized

Do You See What He Sees

2 03 2012

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

A vision of what is possible may come at different phases in our lives. In youth, we may envision our lives with an abundance to live happy, prosperous lives. As we age and make choices, the possibilities of what we can achieve seems to get smaller or larger based our vision. I am thankful to God who has a Kingdom view of our lives as our Creator and our Heavenly Father. He sees all of the gifts and talents that dwell within. He sees what lies ahead and His Holy Spirit can lead us toward the bright purpose He has for each of us. We should each seek to see what God sees. Knowing His love for us is great and that His purpose for us is for good. We praise God for His love, His grace and His direction for our lives.

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Categories : GUIDANCE, Uncategorized

At All Times

1 03 2012

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

I have promised that I will keep Your Law.

And I will add strength to this promise.

Psalm 119:105-106

We can thank God for the grace and mercy that He provides for our lives. The Holy Spirit is able to provide strength, peace and joy along our journey. The next steps forward can be unsure and even difficult. It requires us to put our trust squarely in His hands. He empowers our journey with guidance and the ability to thrive where He is leading us. Listening closely for the directions, watching for the signs and seeking the confirmations that the path is ahead will help to assure that He is directing our path. We can be assured that He will send us in a direction that is consistent with His word, that will lead us toward Holy living and that will help us to achieve His purpose for our lives.

The way forward is through Him with our faith and trust to move where He is leading.

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Categories : FAITH, Uncategorized