IT IS YOU, that holds us together

IT IS YOU, that holds us together

Some of us have multiple things or responsibilities going on at once. We are parents, providers, supporters, encouragers and also have manage protects and challenges in our places of work to juggle simultaneously as well.

Sometimes trying to manage all many things at once can cause us to feel as though we are living in chaos. This chaos can feel both organized and unorganized at times, and this can be overwhelming.

When chaos is all around, there is something we need to be reminded of: What seems like chaos to you, may appear as order to another. What appears as weakness to you, may appear as strength to another. What appears to be falling apart to you, may appear to be held together by another. It is all a matter perspective and faith.

So when you’re feeling as though chaos is all around you or that there is no one you can count on to be there for you, drop to your knees and lay it all at the feet of Jesus. This is what he wants from us; to come to him when we are weary or heavy laden (Mathew 11:28), so that he may give us rest and restore and renew our strength both physically and mentally.

We were not made to handle the struggles of life alone. So when your load is heavy and life is waring against you, call on Jesus. He will handle it all for you.

@madepiecebypiece

“Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].’ Indeed, all those who are angry with you will be put to shame and humiliated; Those who strive against you will be as nothing and will perish. You shall search for those who quarrel with you, but will not find them; They who war against you will be as nothing, as nothing at all. For I the Lord your God keep hold of your right hand; [I am the Lord], Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.”

Isaiah 41:10-13 AMP

No matter how big or heavy you feel your fight or burdens are, God will protect you and hold you together and handle all that is before you. God is mighty and powerful! He can move the mountains you thought were impossible to move.

Pray with me:

Heavenly Father, I thank you Lord for your unfailing love, grace and mercy. I thank you for always being here for me and for all of your children when we need you. Father God, tonight I pray for anyone who is up battling anxiety or fear. Father God, life can feel really overwhelming and hectic sometimes. At times there can be so much to handle that we are trying to prioritize but still feel as if life is a chaotic mess. The enemy is out to corrupt our minds and hearts. In Jesus name, I pray against the enemies plans, and I decree and declare peace will fall upon anyone who calls upon the name of Jesus. Tonight, I ask you LORD Jesus, could you cover them and replace their fear or anxiety with peace. Holy Spirit fill their rooms, comfort them and make your presence known, transforming their hearts and minds. Remind them, LORD Jesus, that you desire for us to call upon your name in our times of need, and that you are our helper and you will uphold them and fight any battle they are facing, whether it be mental, physical, or a health report or illness. Remind them Holy Spirit that they are not alone. May they take comfort in knowing GOD is with them, even through the darkest of nights. In Jesus mighty name I pray, Amen 🙏

I heard this song today and although I have heard it many times before, it inspired me tonight to write this blog post. If you are reading this and have found any encouragement through my words, I pray that this video will also uplift you and comfort you in your time of need reminding you that It is God who holds us together, and he always will when we call upon him.

A Prayer Request

A Prayer Request

We ALL have moments of weakness but why is it so hard to admit? Why do we put on that fake face pretending to be strong? Why do we avoid answering when friends & family call to checkin? Why are we afraid for them to know the truth?

For some of us:

Truth is, we aren’t as strong as we seem.
Truth is, our heavy hearts keep us up late into the night as thoughts fill our minds trying to solve all the issues in our lives.
Truth is, that we cry ourselves to sleep at night crying out to God asking for comfort.
Truth is, that even though we feel anger, we don’t want to wish this pain on those who hurt us.
Truth is, when you all see us as strong, inside we are fighting not to fall apart.
Tears give us release & help to find rest.
Tears renew strength to make it through the next day.

Owning our weaknesses takes strength and it is something we should not be ashamed of.

2 Corinthians 12:9, says: “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”

He is our strength when we feel we have none.

Through God’s word we know that there is power in prayer and there is power in numbers.

Philippians 2:4. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11. Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

James 5:16. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another,that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

When we feel alone or as if we need support, it is ok to ask our fellow brothers & sisters to lift us in prayer.

So tonight I am being transparent and admitting my weakness. I am hurting and I’m in a struggle right now. I know anxiety is not from God. And I know that he knows that which I am unable to see right now and he is working all things out.

I am in need prayer. Please keep me lifted.

Growing with you,

Sandy

A mind that leads to Life and Peace

A mind that leads to Life and Peace

I’ve been battling frustration lately, over things I have no control over. When I am frustrated or upset, I talk out loud; this is one of my biggest flaws.

Have you ever done that? Talk to yourself out loud, complaining to your self? When I do this others can hear what I’m saying and often take offense to it.

Complaining out loud can make a situation worse, because even when you aren’t trying to offend others, it can and does happen.

Can anyone relate to this? Have you ever gotten so frustrated that you become blind to your own behavior and say things aloud that can offend another person? If so, you are not alone and neither am I. But let’s be mature enough not to justify our actions. For we should never meet evil with evil or bad with bad. We must be wiser and do better.

I disappoint myself when I allow my frustration to get the best of me and allow it to shift my mood into one which is cold. I’m human so people I care about disappoint me and frustrate me, that’s normal, but I know I need to learn to manage my frustration better. I don’t want to be an ugly person with an ugly attitude, that’s not who God called me to be.

“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In Romans 8:6, God’s word says that to overcome reacting in our flesh, we must allow the Holy Spirit to to control our mind and lead us. Funny thing is, when we are angry we tend to forget that we should be relying on God to lead us. But when we do it without the Holy Spirit, just where does replying based off our emotions get us? No where better.

Tonight this is my prayer:

Father God, help me to be mindful enough to get alone in your presence when I feel myself becoming frustrated rather than letting that frustration consume my mind in the moment. Holy Spirit fill me and lead me so that I may be obedient to your will and your purpose for my life. Holy Spirit allow your peace to come upon me in those moments and redirect my actions. Help me to seek your lead rather then behaving like someone I don’t want to be. Father, I know I have no control over others. But by your spirit Lord, I can try to control my own actions. Help me to seek you and to grow and overcome. Strengthen me and cover me in your peace. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. 🙏

Growing with you,

Sandy

His Love Will Shine Through

His Love Will Shine Through

When Jesus holds your heart, no matter what you do to hide, He will always shine through!!

There have been times I’ve tried to hide who I am and deny that God called me to share his heart. I’ve labeled myself unworthy, lost, sinful, not smart enough, not holy enough, and more. I’ve listened to people tell me I was fake and how hypocritical christians are. And I’ve felt useless in those moments.

I’ve come to realize that may be the opinion for some, but no matter how many times I ignore the Lord’s pull on my heart nor how many times I deem myself to be unworthy he continues to remind me that his call is simple:

No matter how many times you’re knocked down, keep choosing to get back up & draw closer to me, I your Lord, will do the rest.

For he is the light 💡 and the only one which can never be dimmed.

God isn’t asking us to be perfect. He knows that we will make mistakes and sin. But don’t label yourself what you are not. Do not be defined by opinions, mistakes, your bad days, or by the voices in your head telling you what you are not.

Let God’s love shine through and allow others to see that you are a work in progress. You’re set apart because you are called by him, to remind others of his sacrifice and undying love ❤️

Father God,

We thank you for your unconditional, undying love. We thank you that you are so amazing that you have chosen us and called us. Lord when we feel weak and unworthy, remind us who we are. Remind us that it is your light [YOUR LOVE] that will ultimately shine through. We know that mistakes will be made. But remind us to never loose sight of who we are in you. Thank you for being the light within.

Amen 🙏

Growing with you,

Sandy

Be Light 💡

Be Light 💡

This world can seem so dark and many of us are living wounded in a daily struggle just trying get by. We all have internal & external battles taking place. So while my life does have dark moments, even when I am in my own storm, I still must consciously choose to help uplift others who reach out in need. Trust me, when in your own storm this is a very hard thing to do.

Sometimes I feel like I have nothing to give. But as I worshiped him this morning, God reminded me that I do: I have Jesus to give.

When others come to me and they are struggling with heavy hearts I can be a light by reminding them that Jesus is their anchor! I am to let them know that Jesus will sustain them through their storm. He has done it for me time and time again, and he will do the same for them.

When you feel unworthy to be a giver or unworthy to be an example to anyone due to the personal battle you may still be fighting, be reminded that even in your storm YOU STILL CAN BE LIGHT💡 and you can still help encourage others. Show them to Jesus. That is the very thing which he has called you to do! Make a choice to still serve others and in due time, you too will be blessed and overcome the battle you are in.

Lets Pray:

Father God we thank you. We thank you for loving us when we are too weak to love ourselves. We thank you for the gift of family, friends and sometimes even strangers which you strategically place in our lives to help lift our spirits and show us that there is still light. Father we know that there are dark days we will face in this world. Remind us that we are not alone. Lord Jesus, remind us that we can still be light even when we are fighting our own battles. Give us the strength to run to you when we don’t know the way to go. Lead us, fill us and direct us Lord. Remind us we are yours and that you are by our sides in every circumstance. May we never forget that you are here. Comfort those who feel unworthy, hurt, and incapable of being used. Strengthen us to look to you to fight our battles so that we can help our fellow brothers and sisters in need. Father move in our hearts and help us to walk in the purpose you set out for us. Bless all those just trying to find a way. Remind us we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

In Jesus name, we give you all the Glory for the healing that will take place going forward. Amen.

~Growing with you! ❤️ Sandy

Broken with Purpose

Broken with Purpose

This has been a trying year for me. I have experienced anger, sadness and disappointment after having people test both my character and my faith.

I created this blog to be obedient to the calling on my heart and share experiences in order to encourage others and share with them God’s unconditional love for all. I knew that sharing personal experiences would mean having to be transparent, and frankly, this meant opening myself up to negative criticism.

When you share your faith with the world there will be individuals who will criticize or judge you because they either disagree with you, dislike you, or feel that you’re not good enough to offer encouragement due to your mistakes. Read more

Mighty Within Us

Mighty Within Us

I am currently enrolled in the last trimester of the International School of Ministry (ISOM) program at my church and in tonight’s class something stood out to me.  The speaker , T.L. Osborn, stated “The most difficult thing to get unbelievers to understand is, God lives in us.”  This statement resonated with me because so many people are blind to the fact that Christ can dwell within each of us.

Often when you tell someone you’re a Christian, they think you are religious and judgmental. We get a bad rap because so many who claim to be Christians are condemning and judging everyone around them. As Christians, our job is not to convince anyone who Christ is and it surely is not our job to judge others.  We are called to love and share the unconditional love of Jesus Christ with the world.  Everything beyond that will be done by the Holy Spirit.

Don’t enter into the business of condemning or judging yourself or others. We live in a sinful world and all fall short of chasing what we desire rather than traveling down the roads God intended for us to travel down.

To the unbelievers:  Becoming a Christian does not mean that one must strive to be religious or try to behave as a Christian behaves.  Becoming a Christian means that you are opening your heart to receiving Christ and inviting him to dwell within. Read more