Category: God’s Love

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The Answer You’ve Been Looking For

HI Faith Travelers!         

I am sure today’s title has you wondering, what is she talking about?! The answer to what…and for what?!

Well it’s the answer to All of Your Problems!

So I’ve learned a few things over the last several years of my life; from my own experiences and from the experiences of others. One of the most important things I’ve learned is that everything you need is found in the presence of God. Where the presence of God is, an invitation of intimacy with Him begins. I’ll get into what that means shortly.

“Everything you need

is found

in MY presence.”

–From God to Me

Recently I have come across several friends and individuals, including myself, who have felt physically and mentally tired, drained, confused, emotional, frustrated, angry, anxious, heavy and down right burdened. If this is you, then you will want to keep reading. Why have they felt this way and what causes it? The answer is Life causes it! Some of us are taking things day by day and just trying to make it through the first 24 hours to get to the next 24 hours and then to the next and so on. Some days are great, others are intense, some days are joyful while others are beyond stressful. Why is that? Because Life is going to Life and then rinse and repeat. We have a real enemy(the devil aka satan) in this world who seeks to steal, kill and destroy (See John 10:10) and if you are living your life for Jesus Christ then the enemy seeks to not make it easy for you. The everyday life we live may be inconsistent but the one thing in our lives that isn’t inconsistent is God. He is the same yesterday, today and forever ( See Hebrews 13:8).

So how do we get in the presence of God to fix all of our problems? Well, the answer is we build a relationship with God and we become consistent with Him; in His word, in prayer and in communing with Him daily. Being consistent with God in turn creates intimacy with God. The word intimacy means close familiarity or friendship; closeness. It also means fellowship, communion, affection, understanding, sharing and togetherness.

Intimacy with God means closeness, familiarity, friendship, fellowship, communion and togetherness with God.

How do you become consistent with God to create intimacy with Him? Well let’s look at it like a marriage. When you marry someone and choose to spend the rest of your life with them; before you make that covenant before God and the courts you develop a relationship with that person. You spend time with them, you learn their likes and dislikes, you develop familiarity, friendship and closeness with that person and you learn the ins and outs of who that person is as a whole. That’s no different than what intimacy with God looks like. When we spend time with God in prayer or in His word, we learn His likes, dislikes and the promises He has made to and for us. When we truly seek God, we learn that the time with Him is never a one sided conversation because He certainly talks back, we just have to take the time to listen. This is what a relationship with God looks like.

What happens when we have intimacy with God? How do I begin to see God make a change with the problems I see in my everyday life? In Matthew 6:33, the word of God says “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” In the context of this section of the book of Matthew chapter 6, Jesus is telling us not to worry about our life. In not worrying about our life, He’s saying don’t worry about what we will eat, drink, wear or anything related to our everyday lives. He reminds us in this chapter to look at the birds and how the Lord makes sure they are fed; look at the flowers and the grass and how the Lord makes sure they grow and are taken care of. If we, being created in God’s image (See Genesis 1:27), are regarded higher than these things then how much more will God make sure we are taken care of. “For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (See Matthew 6:32). Earlier in this same chapter, where Jesus is showing us how to pray, He also says “For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (See Matthew 6:8). He is all knowing and all powerful so when you have intimacy with the all knowing & powerful God, just imagine how that will change your life for the better.

“…For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”

Matthew 6:8

The above may address those who don’t have a relationship with God or rather those that don’t exactly know how to have a relationship with Him but I also want to address those of you who have a relationship with God yet are lacking in intimacy with God. There are some of you out there who pray all the time and spend time in God’s word yet you still feel burdened, drained and overwhelmed as if you are carrying a weight that isn’t yours to carry. This was me and a few others I encountered recently. Some of us were so used to seeing God as just Lord and master, instruction giver, the One who shows us what to intercede for, yet we had somehow forgotten that God is our Father first and He wants us to come to Him as His child. Why? Because we spend our days trying to be the go to person for our families, the employee, the parent, the intercessor, the prayer warrior, the missionary, the minister and so many other roles we take on along with attempts to try to be everything to everyone, that we often forget that we are not and were never built for that. That’s why Jesus died for us, so that we wouldn’t have to carry those burdens.

If this is you, you may be lacking in intimacy with God and require some intimate time with the Father. What does that look like? Intentionally setting time for just you and God with no agenda, no prayer points and no distractions…Just you and God’s presence. Where it goes from there is up to you and Him. The only requirement is going to Him like a child in need of their Father, knowing everything will be taken care of, just as children often do. It can be a conversation about your day, how you feel about something or even just basking in the awe of His felt presence. Set this time with God consistently and watch a new facet of your relationship with God begin to unfold.

I made the change this year to set consistent intentional and intimate time with God with no agenda and in just the first two weeks my life changed drastically spiritually, mentally, emotionally, financially and even physically. Everything I need was and is found in the Presence of God. So, whether you have been walking with God for 2 days or 20+ years, we all need intimacy with Him. Take the first step and watch how time with Him gives you all the answers you’ve been looking for.

Until the next faith message…

To be a part of the movement, share your own faith story Here!

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Father(ed) Less to Freedom: A Story of Father Wounds and Forgiveness

Hi Faith Travelers and Happy New Year!

I know it’s been a few weeks since you have heard from me. I was away getting much needed rest and resting in God to understand what He is requiring of me in this new year. I hope this new year/season is treating you well and many of you are sticking to the declarations and promises that you made at the start of 2024. Not out of superstition, ritual or routine but out of sheer desire to do what’s needed to walk into the fullness of the new thing that God has for you in 2024, even in spite of what may be going on around you.

I want to start today’s testimony by talking about how a New Years’ promise to myself and God, going into 2018, freed me from years of hurt, resentment and unforgiveness due to a father wound.

Some of us are fortunate to grow up in loving two parent households, some of us single parent households and some of us not so loving two parent homes. My family structure growing up was a little different. My parents were high school sweethearts who got married when I was 4 and divorced when I was 6, with good reason from my observation. I think I may have been the only young kid that would say their parents didn’t need to be together. This meant for most of my childhood I spent doing frequent to infrequent visits to my dad’s house. It started out great until it wasn’t.

I started out spending alot of time with my dad as he watched me while my mom was away on airforce reserve duty. We took plenty of trips to the park, the fair, and shared loving moments at home of me and him dancing while I stood on his feet.

Things started to shift from ages 9 to 25 when I started to feel abandoned by the person who was always supposed to love and protect me. My dad remarried and the visits became far and few in between. My dad’s wife, at the time, even told me I needed to spend more time with my dad. Which made no sense to me at the time because I was only 9 and always available for him to make the 10 min drive to pick me up from my mom’s house. Years later my dad divorced and remarried a third time. The distance only got worse. My then 2nd stepmother, had 4 children coming into the marriage so as time went the overwhelming feeling and evidence of being replaced with his new family started to rise while I strived to feel included in the new family structure.

Once I was old enough to drive and could borrow the car from my mom, I would drive over to spend time with my dad and his family. I watched the interactions with him and his stepdaughters and stepson and it was evident that they were getting a father figure that I hadn’t had the pleasure of being acquainted with. It was crushing to sit back and watch my dad be a father to others while I strived to be significant in his life. I started buying him and everyone gifts in hopes that it would help them see me more, like me more or even invite me over more often. I was promised that they would give me a key to the house so I could come over between classes and that when they got another house there would be a room for me but that never happened. Broken promise after broken promise occurred.

There was a moment when I had issues with my car and couldn’t take it outside of city limits and was limited to school, work and home. I told my dad and he offered to talk to his friend to get it fixed. That never happened. I was later told by my dad that my stepmother said I only called when I needed something. I wasn’t upset that she said it. I was more upset that he seemed to believe it. This all happened while my stepsister was receiving her first vehicle, they purchased for her.

In my senior year of high school, things got expensive. There were senior dues, senior pictures, the band ball, senior prom, running for prom queen, senior trip, senior dinner and all the things that required money. Myself and my mom’s financial position wasn’t in the necessary shape to support all that I had going on but we made it work the best way possible. My step mom made my band ball dress and my Junior prom dress the year before so she wasn’t all bad, in case you were thinking that. There was a senior dinner coming up and we were asked to invite our parents and present them with a gift. I’d gotten my mom a gift and my dad a crystal sculpture with an image of a father and daughter inside of it. We received two tickets so I told my dad about it and he told me he would come. The evening of the dinner my mom and I were sitting across from each other and my dad’s seat was next to me. I saw my dad in the entryway of the event hall signing in and said to myself “He came!”. My friend that knew the issues I’d had with my dad smiled at me as I wore the excitement on my face. He seemed to be standing at the check in a little too long so I went to see if there was an issue. He’d brought my step mother, which was fine, but didn’t understand why there wasn’t a ticket for her. I told him I only received 2 tickets for him and my mom but it wasn’t a problem because it was a nominal fee for additional people which I believe was $8 at the time. They said okay and I went back to my seat glad that all seemed resolved, yet it wasn’t. I sat down and after a few minutes I looked in the entryway and saw my dad leaving. I went back up to the check in area and looked outside only to see my dad and stepmom driving away. I wanted to be optimistic and think that they were coming back but they didn’t. I went to the ladies room, where my friend met me, and I cried the tears that hurt so badly to shed. My friends gave me a pep talk and we went back out to enjoy the dinner with her parents and my mom. It’s safe to say I took the gift I got for him back to the store. I didn’t address it then or even for several years with my dad about why he left that night. I was too afraid that it would validate my thoughts and feelings of him abandoning me on my senior night over $8.

A similar event happened several years later when I was graduating from college with my engineering degree and my stepmom called me and said my dad wouldn’t be coming to my graduation because my stepbrother’s boot camp graduation was that same weekend. I didn’t react, I was hurt but told her “okay I understand”. I didn’t keep my hopes up regarding my dad much after high school. To my surprise, my dad actually came through and made it to my graduation and I got to see him briefly afterwards before we were all supposed to head to my joint graduation party at a friend’s house. We were caravanning to the location in multiple cars. My mom was behind me and my dad behind her. I recall some reroutes along the way but we were all tailing each other to get there. Once we got to the location I noticed my dad didn’t pull up to the house. I thought something was wrong and was concerned. I later found out that he decided to drive to see a friend near the area and then back to Savannah from Atlanta because he said he couldn’t keep up with the traffic. I told him he could’ve called and we would have navigated him here but that was after the fact and another moment in time that I had been disappointed and left to feel like an afterthought to him in my mind. This was the introduction of what I had come to know as Father Wounds.

From the age of 15 to 30, looking back, I realized the effects of the father wounds and how they showed up in different aspects of my life. It started with me positioning myself to never need anyone’s help for the fear of being let down. That resulted in me working 5 jobs at one time while in college. I worked at a men’s clothing store, Best Buy, the campus bookstore, in the campus athletic department and I had my own tutoring service on the weekdays as well. The effects didn’t end here. They show up as people pleasing and a lack of boundaries with people in hopes for them to like me. The worse part was that it showed up in my dating relationships and lack of discernment on choosing a partner who God would choose for me. Because of this I ended up in several cheating, toxic and abusive(physical and verbal) relationships. A few of these relationships took years to heal from the mental, emotional and physical traumatic toll it had on me. When I look back on it, I ask myself, why did I allow this? Because I didn’t have a male standard to go off of. I didn’t have someone telling me “No, he’s not the right one for you”. And I didn’t have the father figure, like some of my friends had, teaching me to not entertain just any guy that crosses my path. This was until I met someone that changed everything for me.

That someone I met was God. I know it sounds cliche but hear me out. When I received salvation through accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I looked at God as my Lord and Master. Someone to give me orders and instructions for my good as I navigated life. As I grew in my relationship with God, after the last toxic heartbreak, I began to not only see God as Lord but I started to see Him as My Father, someone relentlessly loving me out of every hurt and pain I’d ever experienced, someone who was always there in the ups and the downs, and someone there to make sure I am always safe and protected. God took me on a journey of restoration changing me from the inside out. He erased every disappointment and replaced them with His faithfulness. He fulfilled His promise in Psalms 68:5(See Below) and showed me the father I needed and always wanted.

“Father to the fatherless, defender of widows— this is God, whose dwelling is holy.”

Psalms 68:5 NLT

Though I’d had so many disappointments from my dad, God shared with me that my dad couldn’t give me something that he himself didn’t receive from his own father. God showed me how to love and forgive my dad despite the past. I was reminded of the scripture Mark 11:25 which says, “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” I realized the unforgiveness was hurting me more than anything. My husband says it best, unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to get sick or die. I needed to make a decision to let go.

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop.”

Mark 11:25 AMPC

That year, in 2017, I had been working on a letter to send to my dad but I couldn’t quite finish because I don’t think I was ready to share my thoughts the way God needed me to share them, speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15 NKJV). It wasn’t until December 31st, 2017 that I ‘d made up my mind that I would no longer be bound by the hurts, pains, resentment and unforgiveness of my past. I wrote a letter sharing my heart with my dad and letting him know that I would no longer harbor the events of the past because I was choosing forgiveness. In the midst of this, God told me something that pierced my heart in a different way regarding not just my dad but people in general. He said to me, “He’s a man and man can fail you but I’m your Father and I will never fail. That was the moment I decided to no longer put my trust in man but in God alone.

Letter to my Dad mailed December 31st, 2017; choosing forgiveness and God’s healing

On December 31st, 2017, New Years Eve, I not only forgave but I received a new found freedom that didn’t come in response from my dad at the receipt of the letter, it came when I made the decision to let go and let God. My dad never responded to the letter nor spoke of it. In fact I didn’t know he still had it until I asked in 2021. It didn’t bother me one bit because I’d left all of that hurt at the feet of Jesus on the last day of 2017. It also didn’t bother me because a few months into 2018, after I sent the letter, God showed me how He would use my dad in such a way that showed me though I can’t physically see or touch God, He can do more for me than any man can. In 2018, I healed, I found freedom, I grew closer to my dad, I discovered my purpose, I met my husband and so much more. It’s amazing what one decision to forgive did.

Until the next testimony…

To be a part of the movement, share your own faith story Here!

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Hope Fulfilled

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.”

Proverbs 13:12 NKJV

Have you ever been in the midst of a circumstance or situation that you desired to change. Your health, a family relationship restored, your living situation or even your finances. I believe everyone has at some point in their lives, in some way shape or form. That’s what “Hope” is… a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. But what happens when those breakthroughs don’t happen when you expect them to. That’s when disappointment attempts to set in, especially after countless attempts to see change in the situation come to pass. It’s only when the breakthrough reveals itself that Hope is fulfilled. The message bible translation of Proverbs 13:12 says it best; “unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around.”

Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around.

Proverbs 13:12 MSG

That sudden good break is when after several attempts to see change, you finally receive a good doctor’s report or that prodigal relative returns to restore the family bond. It’s when you finally find the long awaited permanent home you’ve been seeking or your financial situation is no longer a disparity. That’s Hope Fulfilled.

This past weekend my husband and I had the opportunity to serve at an event at our church called iHope, where they provide Christmas gifts to families in need. The families were able to sign up or be nominated to participate. They would then come to the church the day of the event, receive a shopping cart, partner with a family host and have the opportunity to choose several gifts for each of their children to be gift wrapped and sent home with them providing a hopeful experience on Christmas day. All at no cost to the families. The event served over 200 families providing gifts for over 630 children. That’s not all! In the midst of the church being the hands and feet of Jesus through this event, each attendee received prayer, resulting in 14 people giving their life to Christ with 24 people receiving healing. More than 500 volunteers showed up to give hope to those who needed it during this Christmas holiday. That’s Hope Fulfilled.

During the highlight video, one of the individuals nominated for iHope shared their testimony. She mentioned that in 2016, her and her son lived in a homeless community. During that time, she acknowledged, she didn’t grow up in church nor did she go to church but since a bus would come by the community to pick everyone up, they would jump on it and go. At church is where she got saved, receiving Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Fast forward to 2023, she stated that her kids are saved, they are baptized and they all haven’t been homeless since. She actually had the opportunity to volunteer and serve at the very homeless community they used to live in during Serve Day 2023. She stated, “It was just a full circle moment for me”. Now that is Hope Fulfilled!

For everyone out there, remember Jesus Christ is our blessed hope and because of His sacrifice for us (John 3:16), we can always live in expectation of having Hope Fulfilled.

Until the next faith testimony…

To be a part of the movement, share your own faith story Here!

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What’s Your Faith Reference Point?

HI Faith Travelers!

Happy Faith Friday!

Have you ever thought to yourself how you would exercise your faith in an unexpected situation of duress. A moment when you have more month than money and you need an instant miracle just to survive. Or even a circumstance where you are dealing with sickness in your body and the doctors don’t know what to do. These can be situations when you are really trying to grasp at the smallest mustard seed of faith (See Matthew 17:20) just to make it through. In these moments, you have to be able to recall your faith reference point. I know that sounds made up but I am going somewhere with this.

A reference point can be defined as an idea, fact, event, etc., that you already know, which helps you understand or make a judgement about another situation. Let’s reference the word of God for example. In Romans 10:17, the Bible states “So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. That means God’s word helps us to grow and strengthen our faith because it reminds us of His promises. When we are ill, we know that Isaiah 53:5 states,” …by His (Jesus) stripes we are healed”. When we are in lack, God’s word reminds us that “…my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” as noted in Philippians 4:19. When we are in danger, we know that “No weapon formed against you shall prosper…” based on Isaiah 54:17. These are all reference points of God’s promises in His word. Our faith is the assurance of hope that these promises are evident and will be executed in our lives based on what we have read and believe. Well it is one thing to believe yet it’s another to experience God’s promise in your life to be a direct witness of what He promised. This stretches and strengthens our faith because we now have a faith reference point of what God has done in our lives, not just what He promised. Therefore a faith reference point helps us to know, understand and recall our faith in different circumstances based on a previous event where faith was executed. What does that mean?

It means…

You know that God heals because you have a faith reference point of when He healed you from cancer.

You know God’s a provider because you have a faith reference point of when He provided rent money right before that eviction and grocery money before starvation when there was no way in sight to pay for either.

You know God’s a protector because you have a faith reference point from when He brought you out of a terrible car accident unharmed without a scratch.

You know God is faithful because you have a faith reference point from when God blessed you with that beautiful baby you and your spouse had been praying and believing for, for years, even when doctors said it wouldn’t happen based on test results.

Throughout this blog I have shared my faith reference points of God being a healer, miracle worker, peace giver, protector and restorer in my life. Today I want to share another faith story on God being a protector.

On October 1, 2017, my friend Shelly and I were enjoying our last day in Las Vegas after a weekend of sightseeing, shopping, bus tours, and an MJ Cirque du Soleil show. After a full day at the Grand Canyon we headed back to our hotel to grab our bags and prepare to head to the airport. I went into the lobby bathroom to wash off some of that Grand Canyon dust before our overnight flight. While I was at the sink next to a young lady, her boyfriend began to call for her from the hall. She was annoyed but I began to feel uneasy for some reason so I started to pack up my stuff to walk out. Before I realized, my friend Shelly ran into the bathroom yelling “Sheena we have to go! They’re shooting!” I didn’t realize it then but I went into shock as I heard the screams, shooting and people running into our hotel from the concert going on down the street. Little did we know there was a mass shooting going on at the Route 91 Harvest music festival, right down the street from the Tropicana Hotel we were staying in and across from the Mandalay Hotel where we were just the night before for the MJ show. Shelly and I ran into a bathroom stall and we could hear the screaming, running and those coming to hide in the bathroom. Shelly went into drill sergeant mode and stated we couldn’t stay in the stall because it wasn’t safe. We made our way out of the lobby bathroom and up to the mezzanine floor in a large storage closet with several others. As time passed the closet began to clear out until it was just us two in there. We began to pray. I said aloud, “Lord, I don’t know how you are going to do it but I know you are going to get us out of here and back home safely.” I had a faith reference point of when God protected me when I was held at gunpoint, years prior, so I knew God would somehow protect us. I messaged our pastor and another minister on social media so they could be praying and Shelly called her dad who spoke with someone at the front desk who said wherever we were in the hotel wasn’t safe and we needed to get to the Casino area because SWAT was on the way and that’s where they wanted everyone. We had already had this unction to move and as soon as we were about to, someone locked eyes with me from a crack in the doorway and out of fear locked us in from the outside. Once they realized we weren’t a threat from our screaming they let us out and told us to get somewhere safe. We left the closet and headed for the escalator to head down to the casino area and that’s when someone opened fire on the Mezzanine floor. We all screamed and ran while tons of people on that floor scattered. Shelly and I ran down the escalator, jumped over and hid under the bar where others were hiding. Shelly stated we couldn’t stay there in case someone wanted to shoot over the bar. We prayed as we came from the bar cover, making a run for the casino area. Once we’d made it, the SWAT team was coming in as we all had to put our hands up while they headed upstairs where someone had been shot.

Actual Footage of SWAT entering Tropicana Hotel after Vegas mass shooting
Source: Youtube Video by KPCC

After an hour or so passed everyone was directed to the back of the hotel while investigations were ongoing for the crime that had now happened in our hotel as well. We were directed to rooms and hallways until the lockdown was cleared. After 3AM, everyone was allowed to go back to their prospective rooms, hotels or leave the hotel all together. Shelly and I left the hotel and had to wave down multiple taxis until one agreed to take us to the airport.

Waiting in back of Tropicana Hotel during investigations after shooting
Vegas Strip Lockdown after Vegas mass shooting

Shelly and I made it back to Florida safe and sound. Shortly after a friend from the news station contacted me about doing a story on what happened and I used the opportunity to share faith in God and the power of prayer. Shelly and I also had the opportunity to share our testimony of God’s protection with our church.

Me on the Local News after 2017 Vegas mass shooting

When it comes to knowing that God is my protector and my refuge, this testimony is one of my faith reference points to always remind me that God is faithful and He is always with us. Take this opportunity to recall your faith reference points to keep you in remembrance of who God is, what He has done, and what He is more than capable of doing again and again.

Until the next faith testimony…

To be a part of the movement, share your own faith story Here!

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Peace Amidst Holiday Grief

Hi Faith Travelers,

In light of the Thanksgiving Holiday celebrated in the United States this week, I pray this week has been filled with gratitude and thankfulness for you and your families. For some that has been your sentiments, but for others there has also been a wave of emotions of loneliness, grief and sadness. This is all too common for those who have dealt with the loss of a loved one and those who are in a place where they feel lonely during the holidays even without loss. You may feel hurt, sad, lonely, angry, confused, or even lost in the midst of the flood of emotions but it’s okay. I know that sounds kind of weird coming from a Christian blogger but I am here to tell you there is nowhere in the Bible that tells you to keep your emotions of grief bottled up. In fact, the Bible tells us in Matthew 5:4; “Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.” In the midst of the emotions and the thoughts that take us to that unwanted place, we have to realize that it’s okay not to be okay, but we just can’t stay there.

“Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.”

Matthew 5:4

It is normal to grieve loved ones who are no longer with us. It is normal to feel a certain way when we are attempting to celebrate a holiday that was once filled with their presence yet now it is not. Remembering the words they uttered when you saw them, the chair they once sat in, the meals they once cooked and even the warmth they made you feel just from being around them can all be a lot to process. It is okay to mourn the loss of that loved one and the very essence of who that person was to you. We just can’t stay there because when our emotions begin to lead over our God given spirit it leaves a foothold to the devil. The enemy would love to take any attempt to bring you down deeper into a state of mind that you once had control over but is now flooded with consuming thoughts taking you into a hole you can’t dig yourself out of. The Bible says in I Peter 5: 8, “Be sober, be vigilant: because your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Therefore recognize when you have those moments, understand you are human and its okay for you to not be okay in those moments, then proceed to ask Jesus to help you stand on His word in faith and receive His perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3-4). This is better described in I Peter 5:9-10 where it states “Resist him(the devil), steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

8 Be sober, be vigilant: because your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

I Peter 5:8-10 NKJV

After you have suffered in the things you are going through, whether that is grief, sadness, loneliness, confusion, depression, physical pain or anything else not God given, God will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. God will perfect meaning He will mend and restore what has been broken. He will establish meaning God will stabilize and render your mind constant. He will strengthen meaning God will make your soul strong. He will settle meaning God will lay the foundation and ground you there. God will do the work for you, you just have to trust Him and surrender the burden to Him.

For those who are having a difficult time this Holiday season here is a prayer for you to pray over yourself:

Father God in the name of Jesus, thank you for being Lord over all, not just in my high moments but also in my low moments. Thank you for Your love to comfort me in the midst of mourning and for Your perfect peace that surpasses all understanding as I keep my thoughts stayed on you. Thank you Lord for helping me to understand in my heart that as believers my loved ones may be absent from the body but are now present with You Lord and I will see them again. I thank you that my faith and trust are anchored in You and Your power at work in my life. I decree and declare I am more than a conqueror and the devil remains a defeated foe in my life. I decree and declare even in the midst of grief, You are perfecting, establishing, strengthening and settling me in Christ Jesus. And I thank you that I can forever live from a place of peace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Until the next time…

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Planting and Watering for God’s Increase

HI Faith Travelers!

I can recall the time when I would stress myself over wondering if I did what God asked me to do correctly. For instance, when God would lead me to pray for someone, encourage them, share my story or even buy them food, I would sometimes second guess if I did enough. I would think to myself, “Oh no I should have invited them to church, I should have given them my number so I can continue to talk and pray with them or I should have led them through the salvation prayer. I should’ve done more!” I can recall the internal battle I had after giving the loaf of bread to a family God led me to, as written in my blog post on Following the Voice of God. Even then God told me I could have gone to any house and He would have made it well. It was more about my obedience than anything so that He could continue to direct me in similar ways and use me as a vessel for His glory. Well I didn’t understand it then, but when God directs us to minister to someone whether through prayer, encouragement, providing a meal, etc., we don’t have to make sure we do everything in that one moment to disciple them especially if God has given specific instructions on how to minister to that individual. Consider seeing ministering as seed sowing/planting. For example, my encounter with the family I was led to give the loaf of bread to was a seed planted. I didn’t need to worry about not having done anything else during that exchange except what God instructed me to do which was just to provide the bread. That was the seed planted. I don’t know this personally but I trust that God sent someone else to water the seed that I initially planted and from there, God will give the increase and make it grow. This example is found in I Corinthians 3:5-7.

5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

I Corinthians 3:5-7

This scripture shows us that in this biblical scenario, Paul planted, Apollos watered and God gave the increase. So we never have to worry about trying to be a mini Jesus to someone or to a situation because God has already ordered the steps as He draws all men to Him (See John 12:32). Nothing is impossible for God, He can orchestrate a divine encounter that sets a person on the path of salvation and righteousness before they even realize. Just think back in your own lives. The people you ran into who gave you that encouragement in the exact moment you needed it. That person who just so happened to stop for you while you were stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire and before you know it, you two end up attending the same church and growing in God because of a seed they planted and someone else watered.

I can recall a friend from college and “my before living for Christ days” who used to throw these grand parties where I would bring my group of friends to hang out and enjoy. Well as I started truly walking in the things of God our connection phased out. Years later, he contacted me and told me he was struggling with faith and it was causing an issue in his relationship. He said he would watch my Facebook posts and figured I was someone he could talk to about this. God led me to share my testimony with him, sharing the faithfulness of God in my lowest moments of battling an unknown illness. I shared my story, sent a scripture, a local church option and a sermon a few days later and that was the extent of the conversation. He thanked me and told me he would continue to read and study what I shared. Fast forward 5 years to this year, he reached out for a professional contact he and his wife were looking for. I shared my contacts and he proceeded to tell me that I had been an extreme blessing in his life more than I knew. He mentioned how I played a part in getting him over the hurdle when he struggled with faith. He even shared that hearing my testimony gave him the mustard seed of faith that has grown so much that God has him and his wife on a journey doing things they could never have imagined. I recall reading the text and tearing up while thanking God for the reminder of why I continue to live my life for Him.

While I planted seeds into my friend, at some point in those 5 years the seed was watered and God gave the increase and is still increasing him and his family. Well, I also want to add that not only did I plant a seed for my friend but he watered a seed that God planted in me about this very blog of sharing faith to spread faith. Him sharing the impact of me sharing my testimony only gave me the full impacting vision of what God is trying to do through Faith Travels. My prayer is that each blog post and testimony shared is a seed sown on good ground in your hearts, that continues to be watered and cultivated for God to increase. Consider sharing your faith to spread faith, planting and watering seeds one testimony at a time.

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Until the next faith story…