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Don’t Give Up

Hey Faith Travelers!

Happy Faith Friday!

I pray this message finds you all well. As we prepare to close out the last month of 2025, I want to share one important sentiment I truly hope those of you who need it, will grasp…

DON’T GIVE UP!

This year has been quite the year for a lot of us. There has been SHIFTING and there has absolutely been some SIFTING!

Shifting where some of us have had to make some unprecedented and uncomfortable decisions in order to be divinely positioned for our NEXT; not fully understanding the scope of the how, when or the why.

Sifting, biblically defined as a violent shaking/intense testing of our faith by the devil; involuntarily pushing us through unbearable tests and trials, often leading us fighting for our faith, family, finances and even the function of our own bodies.

This season may have been physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually challenging to say the least, but DON’T GIVE UP! A lot of times when things seem like they are falling apart, they are actually falling into place. Don’t be distracted by what seems to be shaking your world. Put your faith and focus back on The ONE who created this world and who has already overcome it (See John 16:33).

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 NKJV

Trust that the same GOD who brought you out of the difficult situations the last time, will bring you out again and again and again; not looking or smelling like the fire you’ve been through.

It’s not easy walking through the hard and dark seasons but you have to Shift your perspective to recognize that God is still moving on your behalf even in the midst of the chaos.

This year my husband and I have personally experienced the loss of loved ones; yet in the timespan of 1 week, on a mission in South Africa, we also personally witnessed 61 people choose eternal life by receiving salvation through Jesus Christ.

We experienced affliction after affliction after affliction with bad doctors’ reports and sickness in our bodies; yet even in the midst of our suffering, we can reflect on the fact that we personally witnessed the supernatural healing miracles of God with our own eyes for 52 people on that same mission in South Africa.

We experienced the effects of the US government shutdown affecting my husband’s job with no pay for a month and a half. Yet the same God that knew this was coming before it happened prepared us months in advance with instructions for emergency financial preparation for our household.

There is so much more we personally went through this year but I was reminded by 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NKJV that “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed”. The NLT translation reminds us that we are never abandoned by God.

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despairWe are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NLT

Just because it’s happening to you doesn’t mean that God won’t see you through it. How do you expect to see the sunshine and rainbow on the other side of the storm if you don’t go through the storm in the first place. DON’T GIVE UP in the middle! Keep going knowing that God is with you and your breakthrough is just on the other side. We have to remember that the weapon may form but it shall never prosper (See Isaiah 54:17).

I’ll leave you all with this…

In God’s construct of time, there’s always a due season which is an appointed time to reap the harvest on what you have sown. Meaning if you have sown faith, perseverance, love, obedience and anything that is an attribute of God, you can expect a good harvest in that due season/appointed time. If you have sown disobedience, discord, hate or attributes of satan, then expecting a good harvest may be out of reach unless you choose to repent and turn that behavior around. The bible says in Galatians 6:9, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Another translation states, “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.” I challenge you to keep going in this season, even when it’s hard, when it feels dark and even when it hurts. Know that God is with you always (See Joshua 1:9) and in due season you will see the blessing if you DON’T GIVE UP.

Until the next Faith Movement Message…

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

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Abide: Staying Connected to GOD in Difficult Seasons

Hi Faith Travelers!

Happy Good Friday & Holy Week!

At this point, I think I can still say Happy New Year, given you haven’t heard from me since December 2024 :-)…

It has taken me quite some time to write this particular post since the beginning of January because, honestly speaking, I have not been exempt from trials in this season. In fact, many I know have also been going through their own set of trials, almost daily, since the start of the new year. But I will say this…God’s word never said we would have a life absent of trials, it did however say that He(God) would be with us through them (See Psalms 23:4).

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Psalms 23:4

Many think when they surrender their life to God and receive the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, that means life miraculously becomes problem free. (* Hits buzzer*… “Wrong!”) Well, your life does get better because you receive eternal life. However, satan, as the little “g” god of this world, will still attempt to attack (See John 10:10) believers to discourage, scare or slow them down from walking in the fullness of who God called them to be and what He has called them to do to advance the Kingdom of God. This is why it is said that this world we live in is a battlefield not a playground. We have to make a daily decision to stand for and on God’s word that gives us the instructions on how to fight back against the attacks of the enemy(satan).

Speaking of trials, let’s talk about 2025. I am sure this has been a peculiar year, so far, for most but God remains faithful through it all no matter what it looks like around us. As we stepped into this new season and era at the beginning of 2025, there is one word that the Lord God keeps reminding me that we all need to take heed to. That word is…ABIDE.

Abide means to remain, continue, obey or dwell. With that said, in 2025 and beyond, we need to remain in the Lord, keeping our connection to Him while continuing to trust and draw closer to the true and living God in every situation like never before. We need to walk in obedience, following the Lord’s instructions quickly and intentionally. And we need to dwell with the Lord just as His word says in Psalms 91:1.

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalms 91:1

Why abide, you ask? Because apart from the Lord, we can do nothing. No matter how much you think you know, no matter the number of degrees you possess, how clever or talented you are or even how powerful you think you are on this earth. Apart from Jesus Christ, you can do nothing (See John 15:5). This is why it is important to stay connected and abide in the Lord. Parably speaking, if He is the vine and we are the branches and we are disconnected from Him, that means we are disconnected from the life source; the source of life filled with love, truth, purpose, faith, trust and abundance.

So how do we Abide?…

I am going to share 3 key ways to abide in the Lord…

  1. Learn God’s Ways & Character through Prayer and time in His Word
    • Know that God loves you ( 1 John 4:12-16) and is waiting to hear from you, no matter the circumstance or baggage you are coming with in the moment
      • He leaves the 99 to go after the 1 (If you are that one, He’s waiting for you with open arms- Matthew 18:10-14)
    • Set intentional Daily Prayer time
      • Prayer is just communication with God as if you are talking to a friend or a loving Father. (Matthew 6:5-15)
      • This can be as long as you want or as short as time allows; as many times a day as you like
        • Quote: “I don’t ever pray any longer than twenty minutes, but I never go twenty minutes without praying. ” -Smiths Wigglesworth
        • Your prayer life is not measured in minutes. Prayer is a lifestyle.
      • Understand and trust that the Lord hears your prayers wherever you are, even if you are in the car on the way to work (1 John 5:14-15)
    • Read & Study God’s Word
      • Pray for understanding and God given revelation before reading and studying the word of God so that your interpretation is true & sound
      • If you are new to studying the word of God, start with the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)
  2. Grow your relationship with the Lord (See Previous Blog on Intimacy [Closeness] with God )
    • Spend time in God’s presence
      • Uninterrupted time with the Father (God)
      • This can include prayer, praise and worship or just quiet time listening to the Lord.
    • Have 2-way communication with the Lord
      • Listen twice as long as you pray
      • Write down what you believe the Lord is saying so you can refer back to it to strengthen your trust in hearing God clearly
    • Learn how God speaks to you
      • Through His Word, through dreams, visions, inward knowing, a feeling(“Something told me…”)
      • God is always speaking we just have to listen (John 14:26)
  3. Surrender to living your life for the Lord

When we abide in the Lord, He abides in us; leading, guiding, protecting, and ordering our steps to and through the purpose and plan He has for our lives. When we submit to abiding in the Lord, it doesn’t matter what is going on in the world or how bad things get because we have the God who created the universe on our side. Rest in knowing that.

Until the next faith lesson…

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