Category Archives: Gratitude

God’s awesome presence.

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“If you bow low in God’s awesome presence, he will eventually exalt you as you leave the timing in his hands.” 1 Peter 5:6 TPT

88ACCEE4-D2FC-44A8-AD7C-7E70DA5A2BFBPhoto credit: Victoria Sereda @ Unsplash

Abba Father,

You are always opening up new frontiers. I  will relax, be humble and allow you to conquer the world on my behalf (Exodus 14:14). You are in charge of all life happenings (Psalm 46:10). 

Forgive me if I attempt to hurry things up. As you know, I am impatient and don’t mind wrestling with you at times! I also know you don’t appreciate when I anticipate or imagine the worst (Matthew 6:25). Forgive me if I have worried way too often in the recent past.

You speak to me in all circumstances. 

When an incoming email calms my heart, you reassure me I’m on track… when a photo exhibits a friendship, your heart is on display and I know I’m loved…when a neighbor assists me, your commitment is manifested and I no longer feel helpless…when strangers are kind, I know you deeply care… when I‘m excited about training, I know you want me to grow and reach my potential… when I hear a ‘warning’ from law enforcement, I know you want me to be on alert, on guard and honor your celestial ways on earth.

Lord, I know you are managing all of my affairs relentlessly and faithfully. I truly appreciate how you are orchestrating all life events on my behalf.

Help me ‘be still’ (Psalm 46:10). Your palpable presence is appreciated and I know you are cheering me along the way. 

You make everything beautiful in your perfect time  (Psalm 18:30). You are an awesome God! I love you with all of my heart, soul, and mind. (Matthew 22:37)

Your beloved and faithful servant.

(sign your name here, and make this prayer personal)

 

Be Blessed. Be Prosperous.

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“He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree planted by God’s design, deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss, bearing fruit in every season of his life. He is never dry, never fainting, ever blessed, ever prosperous.”

Psalms 1:3 TPT

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Photo courtesy: Kevin Young @ Splasher

Abba Father,

Life brings unexpected interruptions and it can be stressful at times.

I’m standing firm on your Word.

I continue to meditate on every word you have inscribed in your Holy book.

I love to worship and be in-tuned with your poetic rhythms from the book of Psalms. Your exquisite words are definitely on fire. When I worship, I sing boldly and my heart rejoices. I want to be alive.

Praising Jesus this morning from the bottom of my heart.

When I repent and surrender, you delight in me. Your sacred Word comforts me; I am no longer in distress.

Not only do I want to be strong and courageous in every way (Colossians 2:7), I want the Holy Spirit to be my tour guide as I stroll down the narrow road.

I want to stand on unshakable grounds so I may flourish in all I do. 

I want to be blessed and prosperous.

Most importantly, I want your will to be fulfilled not mine. I am no longer pursuing success apart from You, Lord.

I am your beloved and faithful servant and a light to the lost world.

In Jesus’name I pray,

Adriana

(write your name and make it personal)

His Grace

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“For it was only through this wonderful grace that we believed in him. Nothing we did could ever earn this salvation, for it was the gracious gift from God that brought us to Christ!” Ephesians 2:8 TPT

I enjoy exchanging gifts at parties. I delight in seasonal wrapping papers and colorful gift bags along with a hand-written note honoring my special guest.

I cherish time spent with family and friends.

Beautifully wrapped presents are memorable, but hand-written notes are treasures inscribed in one’s heart!

All perfect gifts are from above (James 1:17).

There is only one gift that brought me to Christ.

His Grace.

7F488BA7-4160-4582-808A-D2C81A9A026CPhoto credit: Ben White @ Splasher

Lord,

When I accepted your grace, my heart and mind were eternally transformed.  Your compassion and unmerited favor are the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrew 13:8).

Thank goodness, I didn’t have to earn Salvation! It was freely given.

Please forgive me if I was stubborn at first, but I was a lost soul. Because of my sinful nature, I disrespected you in so many ways. I was headed to self-destruction. (Proverbs 1:19)

My heart was choked with unforgiveness, anger, resentment, and pride. I was blindfolded by these emotions! The heart is deceitful and cannot be fully trusted (Jeremiah 17:9).

I had accomplished so much in life yet never acknowledged you along the way! I was self-reliant and possibly obsessed with pursuing the ‘American dream’.

Thanks for not giving up on me all of these years.

I now realize how broken I was but you redeemed me and made me whole.

How did I do it?

One winter morning, I repented of my sins, invited you into my heart, surrendered my life at the foot of the Cross, accepted you as my Lord and Savior, and most importantly I walked away from a self-destructive lifestyle and never looked back again!

You delivered me from hell and saved my soul (Psalm 103: 4). I’m a new person in Christ, refreshed and renewed (2 Corinthians 5:17).

I value every reward from above.

How about you my friend? Have you accepted His Grace today?

In Jesus’ name, I praise.

Amen.

Cuban Sandwich in Downtown Memphis!

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Walking outdoors reduces the impact of stress and promotes ‘well-being’ in a fast-paced lifestyle.

“So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.”

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭8:15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

‘How  can we treasure a moment, a memory, an experience when managing hectic schedules?’

‘Multi-tasking’ is one of my strengths. Multiple projects are achieved by the end of the day at the expense of satisfactory health. Busyness hijacks our joy!

It’s a challenge for me not to multi-task. I  can check emails, answer phone calls, contribute to a meeting and/or review the ‘to do’ list all at the same time.

At the end of the day, I’m emotionally, intellectually and physically depleted.

‘How can we slow down?’

Awareness is the first step before intentional changes can materialize over time.

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Once the committee meeting was over, I strolled down the brick-paved boulevard towards Cafe Keough for a tasty, Cuban sandwich.

The waitress patiently waited for the phone call to end and inquired once again,

‘Have  you considered the lunch specials?!’

I was thrilled to spot a ‘cuban sandwich’ with a side order of french onion soup on the menu!

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 It’s a gift from God to delight ourselves in every activity of our day.

Our Lord doesn’t want us to rush thru an activity or ignore our surroundings much less dodge opportunities.

Let us embrace one moment at a time so we may be blessed by the ‘present’ and be refreshed by God’s grace.

Walking outdoors, embracing silence and savoring every bite of a Cuban sandwich are much healthier practices for a joyful break.

Joy in Music

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“Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭100:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

 

What Can I Play on Sunday?, Complete Collection: 60 Easily Prepared Piano Arrangements for Services Throughout the Year (Sacred Performer Collections).

Click the image for further information at Amazon.com.

Refreshed Soul

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Life altering circumstances transpired and I soon realized I had drifted away from God’s wisdom and unfailing love.

Did I shut the door?!

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I was inconsistent with church attendance and Bible reading for a season in my life. I desperately needed His truth daily yet I had unintentionally drifted away from Him.

Life disappointments, busyness and overwhelming grief led to despair, discouragement and emotional pain.

I was in a desert with no living water!

One Sunday morning, Lord reminded me of His tender truth.

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Daily Bible reading renews the mind, nourishes the soul and prepares us for combat and adversity.

The truth reminds us to meditate on scriptures day and night.

‘How do I get fit, Lord?’

He answered, ‘one day at a time’

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In the mornings, I complete a lesson from bible study, spend time in prayer and highlight the blessings of the day in a gratitude journal.

(30-45 minutes)

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In a 15 minutes break, I use S.O.A.P method when I select a Scripture verse.

S: Write a Scripture,

O: Write an observation,

A: How can I apply it in my personal life?

P: Write a prayer asking God for His will, guidance, and most importantly ask for wisdom.

I take advantage of the two ’15 minutes’ breaks at work.

At lunchtime, I read a Psalm or a Proverb for the day. It only takes another 15-20 minutes to read, reflect and pray over today’s lesson.

A 3-ring “Journaling” binder helps track the day.

Spend 15 minutes in an activity of your preference 3-4 times each day and

stay ‘refreshed’ all week.

I will never drift away from His wisdom much less ‘shut’ the door ever again.

His plans will always prevail!

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It’s Saturday morning already!

 My husband is preparing a tasty omelet in the kitchen,

My sister is on her way back to Venezuela,

My second oldest boy is trying to settle down in his morning routine,

and,

I’ve got urgency to get ready for a brunch in less than an hour!

Living in the moment is strenuous when faced with life extinguishers, doubt and fear.

 It starts with a benign question, ‘what if…?’

By the end of the thought, I have colorful, vivid images of a catastrophe.

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It’s truly exhausting!

Strongholds can be debilitating without a doubt.

As I wrestled with life altering decisions,  I finally grasped a reality.

There are no warranties in life.

In my most recent decision, I just wanted someone to reassure me about the future.

I wanted everyone to say, ‘it’s going to be alright…You won’t fail’

I even wished for a descriptive manual with clear instructions in ‘how to’ succeed at the task.

Guess what?!

No one can foretell the future much less can tell you if the decision you are about to make is the most favorable one.

When I kneel before Him in humility and most importantly with a surrendered heart, He always leads the way.

As soon as I surrendered this morning, He reminded me of one of his truths.

Just know, the Lord’s plans will always prevail.

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭19:21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How peaceful does that sound?

It was comforting and reassuring!

Now, I’m ready for brunch.

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Joy in the Lord is her strength

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I was sitting next to a vibrant, young-looking 65 years old woman when I heard the nail technician ask a routine question, “would you like your eyebrows trimmed today?”.

Her gentle response was, “I no longer have eyebrows since I’m a cancer patient… I’m blessed though”

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭28:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

She was soft-spoken, gracious and well-mannered.

All I heard was, “Cancer… Blessed!”

Agh?

“How many of us feel blessed after six years battling  with a rare form of cancer named ‘Leiomysarcoma’ on two different occasions? ” The cancer is now located in her lungs, kidneys and lymph-nodes .

I’m not convinced as of yet if I can ever bear 27 radiation treatments and still be blissful and undisturbed by a life altering event.

Her joy and strength were unshakable, her gratitude and optimism were palpable and her hope was in the Creator, the Alpha and the Omega. She had no doubts about His protection, unfailing compassion and never ending love.

She enjoys reading her Bible. She relies on His promises indeed.

Even though the white blood cell count is low and an infection may occur at any given time, she was grateful when she took the last chemo medication dosage.

She was even exhilarated by the trendy color of today’s manicure and genuinely smiled during our brief conversation.

She noted, “I’m truly content and in peace”. She gave me a  firm hug on her way out.

Today’s perspective on ‘challenging work circumstances’ instantly changed!

I grasped the importance of the here and now, the value of good health and most importantly the ability to live every moment as if it would be our last!

Our days are numbered indeed so I hope and pray I never lose sight of what’s relevant in life.