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This Monday morning, I want to say thank you to everyone that came out to the Empowered Jesus Girl Teen Conference! I know that God was there with us and He is working a revival in the hearts of so many young girls!

I praise God for the salvations and lives that were changed at this event! May God continue to show up and show out in this ministry!

For those of you that missed the event, we hope to have a video posted soon. I thank you and love you all for your encouragement and prayers during this past week!

Wake up this week and remind yourself who you truly are! Read this out loud to yourself, your friends, and family. Everyone needs to be reminded how special they are as a child of the One True King.

May God Bless you and show you His Grace every day!

Worry: the Hearts Defeat

The world is full of struggles that we cannot physically or mentally handle on our own. Every day we are faced with “what if” situations that can take our comfortable, easy lives and turn them upside down in a split second. What if your parents break up? What if the car in front of you runs a red light and totals your brand new car? What if your best friend moves out of state? What if you find out you or someone you love dearly has terminal cancer? The scenarios could go on and on for pages but the fact of the matter is, we don’t know. We don’t know what is going to happen next; we don’t know how we would react; we don’t even know if we would truly survive some of the worst case scenario situations we think of in our own minds.

As it is often said, we are our own worst enemy. Our minds can and will run wild if we let them. Because of this, it’s time we take control. Take back the peace of mind that God gave you and realize that He is in control. Give Him the lead and realize that whatever happens, happens in His hands and His will. Give God the lead, focus on His Word, and let worry subside for another day.

Are you truly giving your worries to God and letting Him take control? What are you holding on to that’s keeping you from trusting God? Holding on to your worries is basically telling God you don’t trust that He has a plan.

Let go and let God take care of you.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ 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

Weekly Challenge: This week shift your focus from the negativity in this world to the peace that you can have through Jesus Christ. Focus on the power of Christ, trust in Him, and let Him show you His will for your life. Let others see Jesus in you.

Matthew 28:19 states, “Go therefore and make disciples of ALL nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

When Jesus says “Go” you better get up and go. He never once said ministry is only for people that have 4 years of college, 2 years of seminary, and at least 3-5 years of experience in the mission field. We all have a mission field and we are all called to serve Him. Are you fulfilling your calling?

If you look back in Matthew chapter 4 you’ll see that Jesus called the common man to follow Him. Throughout the entire book of Matthew, Jesus called upon fishermen, tax collectors, and other ordinary men to follow Him. The thing that I find crazy is that when He looked at them and said, “Follow Me” the men never asked Him where they were going. I am the type of person that likes to know details about where I’m going, what I’m doing, and who is going to be there. To be honest, I’m a little OCD when it comes to planning. This is where faith is put to the test. Do you always know where you are going in life?

Where do you see yourself in a 1 year? 5 years? 10 years?

Do you really know?

When my husband first surrendered to the ministry we did what any job hunter would do, we went to google and searched for jobs. Of course we spent time in prayer seeking the Lord’s will but we knew we had to do something if we wanted to serve. Sitting around twirling our thumbs was getting us nowhere. After a few weeks of waiting, he got a call from a church in OKLAHOMA! I don’t know about you but Oklahoma is not my ideal dream vacation spot. Sorry Oklahoma fans.

When Dustin received the call, we were in shock. Were we ready to move? Was this even real? Struggling with the idea of moving, we hit our knees and said “Lord, you know better than we do, send us to serve if it be your will.” That was one of the hardest prayers I’ve ever prayed. My life has always been in South Carolina. On top of that, my parents have lived in the same house since the day I was born and my family is very close. My sister lives 3 miles from house, my sister in law lives 5 miles away. My parents live 10 minutes away and my mother in law lives the furthest away from me at a total of maybe 20 minutes. Right now, we are in our comfort zone. I love South Carolina and I love my home.  But in my heart I knew that if God had a plan for my family to move, He would see us through every step of the way. Wherever He lead, we were ready to follow.

After prayer, we spent a few hours on the phone with the church leaders and even more time researching the church and the area. We had 3 Skype interviews and multiple conversations with leaders and directors at the church. We even looked up the housing market and tried to figure out how we would move with a baby on the way 18 hours from what we had always considered “home.” It was terrifying to think we were actually going to do this. Yet God gave me peace in knowing that He would see us through whatever may come about. As scared as I was, my faith kept me grounded and gave me comfort. Every day as I searched for homes and prepared for a possible move I had to step back and let God take the lead.

Time would tell that this was not where God wanted us to be; however, it was a growing experience for both of us. It was a chance for us to see how strong our faith truly was. Were we ready for true surrender no matter the cost?

If God told you to go somewhere today, what would you do? What would hold you back?

Whatever is holding you back is being put in front of Jesus Christ. As you know, anything you place above Jesus Christ is considered an idol.

“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 10:37-39

I’m not telling that you that it’s wrong to love your family or your home, but do you love them more than Jesus Christ?

Keep in mind that this is not our home. We are just passing through.

If you would find it hard to follow Christ wherever He calls you, I challenge you to prioritize your life and take a step back. Realize this is not your home and turn your focus on Christ above. Let God lead your life and have faith that He will see you through each day.

Weekly Challenge: Make a list of things that get in the way of your bible study. What’s holding you back from your true potential with Christ? Refocus your eyes on what matters most, Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:1-2

“I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.” John 12:46

Have you ever woke up in the middle of the night and had to go to the bathroom or to get a drink of water? Of course you have. Everyone has had that moment in the middle of the night where you wake up and somehow manage to stumble out of bed and start the dreaded walk in the dark to the bathroom. In college, my bathroom was located outside of my bedroom since my roommate and I shared a bathroom and living room. I remember waking up and tripping over clothes, hairbrushes, and sometimes even running into the door trying to get to the bathroom in the dark. I thought after college was over with my life would get easier, but boy was I wrong. Now when I wake up in the middle of the night to go feed my son, I battle with Legos, cars, footballs, and dreaded loud toys that randomly go off when you step on them. It’s like a battlefield in the middle of the night at my house. Needless to say, walking in the dark is never easy.

Jesus stated in John 12:46 that He has come to be the Light in the world. We’ve heard this same statement repeated throughout the Bible. In John 8:12 the Bible says, Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” You can also see this in John 9:5, “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” For further reading on the Light read Isaiah 42:6, Luke 2:32, John 3:19, John 1:4. These are just a few instances where Christ declares Himself as the ‘Light of the World.’ Imagine yourself living in world without light. Right now, reading this very devotion would be difficult without any light. You could strain your eyes and try to adjust to the darkness but over time you would realize that without light, you are basically blind in this world. Just as we are blind in the dark, we are blind in this world without the Light, Jesus Christ. Christ came to show us the way, be the Light, and direct us in our paths. I challenge you today to look to the Light of Christ, open your eyes, and see what He has in store for your life. Pray for His direction and let His Light show you the way.

Prayer: Pray for Jesus to reveal His direction for your life, show you the Light, and send you in His will. Without the Light, we are nothing more than people lost in the dark. Are you truly following His will or walking in the dark?

Weekly Challenge: Make a list of people that are walking in the darkness (unsaved) and devote to praying for them each day. You’ll be surprised at how long your list will end up being over time. Carry this list with you everywhere you go and spend time praying for each individual person. Hate carrying a notebook? Keep the list in your notes on your phone and set a daily reminder to simply ask “Have you prayed today?” It may seem repetitive to pray for these people over and over again, but I thank God that someone prayed for me. What about you?

May God Bless you and show you His Grace every day!