December Thoughts:

 End Strong!

Here we are in the final month of the year. There have been both wins and losses experienced. Hopefully, we've grown through it and not just gone through it. During this month, let's focus on three words. 

Reflect 

Reset 

Restart  

No matter what happened to you or didn't happen for you, it's not over.  The year ending is only the close of a chapter in the book, not the closing of the book. Turn the page. There's still more to discover. The most important discovery is that you can recover.  Recovery can look chaotic, but keep going knowing that you must perceive it to receive it.

-Shendoria Middlebrooks ,BSECE

Be Restored  

Joel 2:25 

 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

 King James Version (KJV)

Where do we even start on the daily walk of restoration and awakening? We start where we are.Anne Lamott

What Is Prayer? 

 Prayer is communication between us and the Lord. Prayer is a two-way conversation and we cheapen it if all we do is talk. The best conversations that we will ever have are back and forth conversations. Make sure that you’re allowing yourself to listen to God. There is so much that the Lord desires to tell you. Let’s not only be good talkers, but also good listeners.

"It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without heart." "Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God's thirst with ours. God thirsted that we may thirst for him." "Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of Containing God's gift of himself."

 Encouraging Prayer Quotes

"Saints of God need to become more separated in the matter of prayer, and fasting adds intensity and power to prayer. 

The Rewards of Fasting.

 -Rev. B.R. Hicks 

"Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference." 

- Max Lucado

"Prayer lays hold of God's plan and becomes the link between his will and its accomplishment on earth. Amazing things happen, and we are given the privilege of being the channels of the Holy Spirit's prayer." 

- Elisabeth Elliot

 PRAYER IS …“Difficult times are pregnant with glory moments just waiting to be birthed in the lives of those willing to labor through the pain.”

-Sharon Jaynes

"Prayer is to surrender to God's will, not yours."

 - Regina Marks

"To pray is to enter the treasure-house of God and to gather riches out of an inexhaustible storehouse. "

- Charles Spurgeon

Look

Look at what God did. 

Look at what God is doing.

“Life itself is a privilege, but to live life to the fullest, well that’s a choice,” Andy Andrews.

We can’t go through life without heartaches, disappointment or detours. But I must admit that during these hard times is when I find out who I am and what I’m willing to let go of, around me and inside of me, to keep trenching forward. These hard times don’t have to stop us from leaning into Christ or seeking His way on our journey.

When soldiers train for battle, they’re tested. They’re not walking without struggle or without hills to climb, they’re challenged with hardship. When training, there is inevitably perspiration, weakness, fatigue and defeat – temporary defeat to build stamina, perseverance, determination and courage. What separates a soldier from another is the one who is still standing after the test. 

I’m guilty of wanting life to fall into place without struggle, without hesitation, without strong effort. Unfortunately that will only lead to a half-lived life. When I’m honest with myself, I want the very best for my life; to know that I lived it to the fullest according to God’s great purpose for myself. I want the very best for my friends and my family, although we have to experience hardship, pain and strife. 

One day, I was standing in darkness. I was standing at a crossroad but couldn’t see anything in front of me. I was still in fear that I would run into something and hurt myself. I waited to see a light to show me which direction to go. There appeared to be a very dim light, I squinted my eyes to see, and then I saw it. My heart leaped with joy that I had a way to go, so I began walking toward the light. Only a few steps later the light went dark. So I quickly stopped and remained still again. I looked over my shoulder to my left and right and saw nothing. I was too scared to move in any direction, so I just waited. It felt like an eternity, but then I saw a light again, it was brighter this time, and I think I may have walked even faster this time to get there as fast as I could. I wanted to hurry before the light would disappear. I felt myself running toward the brightness, although it was leading me in a different direction this time. The light quickly went dim again and my heart sank. I felt like I hadn’t moved anywhere, without any progress. So once again, I waited. I stood in place. I was discouraged but there was something in me that wouldn’t let me give up. Then out of nowhere, I felt a fierce wind almost take me over, I felt myself grow unsteady and the ground caught my fall. I still didn’t see any light so I waited. Then I saw a fire form in front of me, the flames were so high and hot, I just braced myself for shelter. After the flames had seized, I was shocked to look at myself and see that there were no scratches or injuries. I waited for another glimpse of light and moved when I saw it. Just a few moments later, I saw water rising in front of me, just before it completely overtook me. I was drowning but awake. Somehow all I remember is waiting for the light.

 Just moments later I woke up and I was without words. My heart was so full of gratitude I couldn’t express myself but I was so thankful that the Lord confirmed exactly what was going on in my life at that time. He filled my heart with hope for the future. Hope to get up that morning and keep pushing. Hope to put on the armor of His mighty Name, strap my boots and get back in line with the soldiers of the Lord. Get back in my rightful place and march toward His glorious Light. 

Please be encouraged today, that your struggle is the training ground for a beautiful victory. Although you may feel consumed by the waters surrounding you, God’s Hand is holding onto you in the flood. His Hand is not too short to reach you, to hold you, right where you are right now. Hold onto Him. He is your anchor. He will help you through. Don’t stop praying. Don’t stop fighting for His Glorious Name. Stay in line with your fellow soldiers. If there is no one in your corner right now, you have an army in heaven praying on your behalf, you are not alone. Christ is fighting for you, He is praying for you, He with you, He is for you and He will come through. 

Stop and Look at what God is doing! 

Be encouraged today, 

Patricia Velasquez, PTA, BS, CWCA, CLT

During hard times, it’s easy to wonder why the Lord is taking so long to bring relief. Like the psalmist, we cry to God “out of the depths” for help (Psalm 130:1), but as time drags on, we may be tempted to take matters into our own hands, oh how I am guilty of that. As growing Christians , however, are not to operate as the world does, determining a course of action based on human reasoning or the example of others. Instead, our guidance is to come from God, and our hope is to be in His Word (Psalm 130:5-6).

It’s important that we cooperate with Him so the time spent waiting will prove productive and beneficial.  Be honest in prayer even if your thoughts and feeling are negative. God can use such “holding patterns” to reveal sinful behaviors or thinking and to develop new heart attitudes. Waiting can also provide an opportunity to deepen our trust and dependence on Him.  Remember God is a friend as this will help follow God’s timetable, He gives us the grace to endure difficult situations with confidence and peace. It’s a blessing to know we’re where God wants us and He’s promised to take care of us.

If you’re in God’s waiting room, remember that He is your hope—and in His time He will move you forward. He's a friend that you can always trust.

Psalms 130:1-8

Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.2Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.3If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?4But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.5I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.6My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.7Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.8And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.