~A Journey well traveled~

I'm going to do something different today, I'm going to tell you a story about my journey thus far..

It all began at Cox South Hospital in Springfield Missouri, when I was born, I was what you would call "a miracle baby" the doctor had told my parents a year before that they wouldn't be able to have anymore children but God had something to say about that! Shortly after being told by the doctor that they couldn't have anymore children my Mom found out the good news that she was pregnant! It's amazing how the miracle worker preforms! It's not over until God decides it's over and God decided that my journey had only just begun! When God has a plan..nothing can prevent or hold that plan back! 

When it's up to God..big things are getting ready to happen so you better GET READY!

God had a plan for my life and he has used me for his glory most of my life, I would be lost without his purpose! Without his purpose my life would have no meaning! The heart in my chest is no longer my own..but it's his to do with it what he desires to do! God's will and purpose has always been the plan that I strive for!

Even in times of doubt and confusion in my life I still could feel God's will for my life growing stronger than my own! I could feel my plans falling through but God's plans were filling up the void that I felt while pursuing my own plan!

There is nothing in your life that you could do on your own that would fulfill that space in your heart more than the way it feels when God's will is the purpose for your life! Don't put God's plans on the back burner! Instead throw your own plans away and seek God's plan for your life because he knows what he's doing and has predetermined your steps! He knows you better than anyone and he will always love you deeper than anyone else ever can!

I love this verse it reminds me of my full purpose when Satan tries to tell me otherwise..

Psalms 139:13-16

"For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

 Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."

You are special and God had a plan for you even before you were born! He loves you and he has a purpose for your life! Don't allow the Devil to tell you otherwise! Satan is a liar and only wishes death upon your life! God only speaks life into you and wants good things for you..You remember that today!

~Dani

~Perseverance Presses On

What do you do when the world is pushing you up against the wall?

Do you faultier and give up or do you push back ten times harder and refuse to be defeated? Here's your answer..

Proverbs 24:15-20

"Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous;

do no violence to his home;

for the righteous falls seven times and rises again,

but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him.

Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked, for the evil man has no future;  the lamp of the wicked will be put out."

We do not have to worry about being defeated though Satan will try his hardest to convince us otherwise! We can have confidence in knowing that with God we cannot be defeated and God will not fail us! God always comes through and always makes a way of escape for us!

I want you to remember today that no matter where you are going, what you are facing in your life or who you are up against..God is more mighty than anything you are facing in your life! Do not fear and do not stress over those things..they are small things to God and he can handle them all!

~Dani

~What are you waiting for?~

It seems like in our lives we have to wait for things in moments of our lives but I want you to know that there is a purpose for you in the waiting!

When you are in the waiting good things are happening, at times you become stronger and wiser,  you often become more patient and much more appreciative of things in your life because you become aware of the value of those things, you know that the best things in life are the things you wait the longest for and that you have learned to make more time for the important things in life..instead of the things that really don't matter!

While you're waiting in your life keep this verse in mind..

Isaiah 40:28-31

"Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

 his understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint,

and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;

but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

What are you waiting for in your life? Is it that dream job that you're waiting to hear about? Is it that college that you're waiting to hear from? Perhaps you and your spouse are trying to have a baby? Or perhaps you're in the same boat as I'm in..maybe you're waiting for Mr. Right or miss right? Or maybe you're waiting for a hard time to pass by you? Whatever it may be, I want you to keep the faith and be strong even though you're in the waiting process..because it's not going to last forever and I promise you that the wait will be worth it in the end!

Be as patient as you can be while you're waiting.. even though it's difficult at times and don't give up on what you're waiting for!

~Dani

~Love brings life to others~

I've talked about loving your neighbor many times in my devotionals..because many of the problems that we face in our lives would be resolved if we would just open up our hearts and love others! That doesn't always mean that we agree on everything but just the same we are supposed to love our neighbor as ourself so if we love others then a change can take place in their lives as well! Love can open up opportunities for us as Christians to reach out to non-believers so that we can make a difference in their lives!

We can change the world if we show them the love of Jesus and they will want to change once they feel the love of Christ through you!

Think about it this way..When Jesus traveled and was starting his ministry he didn't go around scaring people by saying that if they didn't follow him they were all going to burn in hell.. instead Jesus delivered a message of love and hope to those people and he showed everyone around him how to become closer with his Heavenly Father! Jesus didn't go around putting fear into people..he knew that would never get the message out there, he knew he had to show them love and treat them well! One of his most memorable stories in the bible was when he fed the five thousand, by doing so he showed them the ultimate act of kindness by the boy's sacrifice of giving his lunch to share with the crowd! And Jesus then went on to teach them about when we share with others God blesses what we give to them and multiplies it to fulfill the need that others have! He showed them that through God you will always have what you need and God will always provide if you have faith in him to provide!

Think about the way you act to others today and try to think of what Jesus would do out of love and out of an act of kindness! Remember this valuable lesson and be kind to your neighbor..like you want to be treated! Keep this in mind today, read this verse and apply it to your life and in the way you treat others..

James 2:8

"If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well."

~In the end I'll be smiling ~

Revelation 22:12-14

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates."

As Christians we know that evil will meet it's end one day and no matter what they try to say or do one thing remains true..we will win and the evil of Satan will be destroyed!

We have future hope because we know that our God is stronger and is the maker of the universe! We know that we will live and Satan along with all of his followers will burn in a lake of fire!

Every time Satan tries to come against you..you remind him of the future that will happen to him! And remember the future hope that we have to hold on to!

We have nothing to fear! We do not have to be afraid! We can smile and have the peace of mind that it's going to work out in our favor..The ones who are followers of Christ!

When everything passes away we will be standing tall with our Lord in Heaven and others who do not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior will pass away with this world and spend eternity in hell!

Jesus brings you life and allows you to spend eternity in Heaven someday! Satan brings you death and an eternity of grief and suffering!

Which sounds better to you? Where are you going to? Are you ready to meet Jesus? If you do not know where you'll be spending eternity then pray this prayer with me now.." Jesus, I know I'm a sinner and I know that you can forgive all my sins, I want to spend an eternity in your kingdom with you, write my name into the lambs book of life so I will be with you someday, in Jesus name amen!"

If you prayed that prayer I want to say "welcome home!"

~Dani

~Yesterday's mistakes are forgotten today!~

Romans 3:23

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"

We have all made mistakes in our lives, whether it be the things we've done that others know about or the things that we've done in secret, the point is..God knows and sees everything we do but somehow he still loves us unconditionally! His love for us is simply amazing! His love is never failing and ever reaching! God's love is a powerful love that sweeps over you! His love for us is captivating and cannot be compared to anyone else's love!

Though we have sinned before, God still loves us and forgives us as quickly as we ask for it! If we ask him for forgiveness he does so..and not only does he forget but look what this bible verse says God does..

Micah 7:18-19

"Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression

 for the remnant of his inheritance?

 He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.

He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot.

 You will cast all our sins

into the depths of the sea."

That's right! If you've asked him for forgiveness, then your sins have been cast into the sea! God has forgotten what you've done yesterday so why don't you stop looking backward on what you've done before and start looking toward the bright future that God has in store for you? You no longer have to worry about what you did yesterday..you need to be excited about what lies ahead of you in the future! Forget about who you were before and reach out to be reborn through Jesus Christ!

1 Peter 1:23

"since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God"

If you say to yourself today.."I am a new creature in Christ Jesus!"

Then you have been reborn and you can start fresh with a clean slate! Your sins are erased now! Go and sin no more! God will help you through it all and help you make it onto the other side! Amen! I'm so glad we have a new start to every day!

~Dani

~The Hope of which I cling to~

There are so many verses in the bible that can offer you hope in your time of need, I know that I have certain areas in the bible that I turn right to in my hour of need! My favorite place to turn to in the word of God is in Psalms! Here are a few verses for you to read that will help you as well!

Psalms 119:73-82

Your hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.

Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word. I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant. Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight. Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood; as for me, I will meditate on your precepts. Let those who fear you turn to me, that they may know your testimonies.

May my heart be blameless in your statutes,  that I may not be put to shame!  My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word. My eyes long for your promise; I ask, “When will you comfort me?”

Sometimes all we need to do is call out to God and say "God, bring me comfort at this time!" And God will hear your cry! Sometimes all we need to do is ask God to cling to us and come near to us when we are hurting, broken, confused and even when we are angry about something..God wants to hear our prayers no matter what they're about! God really cares about our need!

I'm going to share a couple more verses that I read when I'm struggling..Psalms 69:16-18

"Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. Hide not your face from your servant; for I am in distress; make haste to answer me. Draw near to my soul, redeem me; ransom me because of my enemies!"

Psalms 69:13-14

"But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. Deliver me

from sinking in the mire;

 let me be delivered from my enemies

and from the deep waters."

Psalms 71:1-3

"In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;

let me never be put to shame!

In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me! Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress."

I hope these verses encourage you today as they do when I'm feeling hopeless or discouraged, whatever you're facing in your life right now, know that God sees you and he cares about the way you feel! Call out to him and he will help you out of your situation..no matter what your facing! No matter how big or small..God can help you with anything!

~Dani

~Don't give in to worldly desires~

It's always been hard to resist desires of the flesh for all of us, it's especially hard these days to stay away from worldly things and not to give into the desires of this world! It tends to come as a challenge to live a life of purity and to keep your integrity! This world is becoming more corrupt and it makes me realize more and more that this world has nothing for me! 

This verse tells about how easily we are tempted by Satan and things of the flesh, it also explains the things that we can lose when we give in to those worldly desires!

Proverbs 6:25 - 7:5

"Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread,

but a married woman hunts down a precious life. Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned?

Or can one walk on hot coals

and his feet not be scorched?

So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; none who touches her will go unpunished. People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house.

He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.

He will get wounds and dishonor,

and his disgrace will not be wiped away. For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge. He will accept no compensation;

he will refuse though you multiply gifts. My son, keep my words

and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers;

 write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend, to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words."

I want you to keep in mind of the things that you can lose while you're living a life that isn't pleasing to God, I want you to look over your life and realize what price you have paid while you've lived a life trying to please this world! Think hard about the life you're living and realize that it's simply not worth it..because you not only lose important things in your life but you also lose yourself and who you were made to be!

God made you and fashioned you in a special and unique way! He loves you and wants the best for you! God also wants you to be who you were created to be and he doesn't want you to change who you are but he does want to change the choices you make into good choices! 

Do the right thing and you'll have peace in your life! I've heard it said that Faith makes a fine pillow!

~Dani

~Do you still want to believe?~

Hebrews 11:1-3

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."

Perhaps in your life you have had events occur that was so heartbreaking that it has caused you to lose your faith in the "unseen" things of God, I can understand where you are coming from on this subject even though I cannot relate to you in that way, 

Although I have had my moments of doubt and confusion in my life, 

When I was around three years old my cousin passed away from cancer, he was only fifteen years old, it was a painful time for our family and of course we questioned why he had to leave the world so early in his life, but the important thing was that he gave his heart to Jesus before he passed away and that brought comfort to us, We found comfort in knowing that someday we will see him again and we'll be together again! I still remember my cousin and the way he always took the time to let me sit on his lap..He even bought me a stuffed animal the last Christmas that he got to celebrate with us! A person doesn't forget memories like that, we sometimes forget the names and faces but the caring person who took the time to make us feel loved will always be remembered by us!

In this life we have a choice, we can either believe in something or not believe in something..To believe in something means that when bad times happen in our lives we have the faith that it's all going to work out! When we don't believe in something that means that when bad things happen we curse God and do not have hope that things will get better somehow in our lives!

When your life takes a turn for the worst..do not fear or hide your face..God has bigger plans for you and he wants to see you make a comeback in your life! Don't lie down and die! Don't give up the fight! God's going to get you through it and you will be happy again, you will smile again, you will be comforted! 

Allow God to bring you the healing comfort of his arms! You're going to make it! Have faith and don't be afraid to believe even when you just can't see past the hurt yet..you will someday! Hold on to the faith and choose to believe in God!

There's an awesome song by Jeremy Camp that says.. "I still believe in your faithfulness, I still believe in your truth, I still believe in your holy word, even when I don't see, I still believe"

Sometimes the only thing left for us to do is to simply believe..even though we don't like the place that we're in at the moment, trust that God has good times ahead for you in the future and let go! God's going to bring you comfort now..seek him and you shall find him..you will find comfort in his arms!

~Dani

~Precious Moments~

Ever since my niece and nephew was born I've come to realize just how precious moments are in our lives,

I've come to realize that life will give you what you give to life and if you keep a positive outlook on your life no matter what has happened in your life..Your life will feel fuller and much more happy, if you'll learn to truly appreciate your life and keep a heart that's true and honest then you cannot lose..because it's that very thing that is very precious and priceless! Many people will look at you and look back at their own life and will question what you're doing different from them and how they could have a life that way!

Time is an important thing, you can very easily waste time with something in life that isn't worth your time such as..Wasting precious time around negative people who do not appreciate or value others, which is not worth your time and is an unworthy cause..sometimes it's better to stay away from them and pray for them to change their ways! You deserve to be around people who appreciate you..waste not precious time! There are no do-overs there is only the here and now, surround yourself with people who care about you and will lift you up! You don't have to feel low in your life by being around those who discourage and break you down! Choose happiness and choose your friends wisely so you'll have a much richer and fuller life!

being a young lady like myself, I've found out just how important it is to learn valuable lessons now instead of waiting until later on in my life to learn of the importance of family, love, friendship, ministry and a relationship with God is!

This verse reminds me of the kind of woman that I hope to be someday and it helps me to focus on the more important things in life. 

Proverbs 31:25-31

"Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

 “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates."

I want you to think about the importance of life today and remember to not take it for granted, surround yourself with kind souls..I know it may sound odd but I've chosen older people as my friends since I was just a little girl and in result I am a lot more appreciative of life and I respect others more than those who are around my age do,

Don't forget this important lesson from the bible as well.. Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

~Dani

~Crushed:The ultimate sacrifice~

Revelation 1:5-8

"And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

It's still difficult to imagine the pain that our Lord and Savior suffered upon himself for our sins, it's hard to think of the ultimate shame that he must've endured for us, he was spit upon and called a false God by many, and yet somehow out of his true love for us..He still took our shame and died for us!

Imagine for a moment how deep his love is for you! Imagine for a second of the courage that it took! Can you imagine? And just imagine how his mother Mary must've felt as she watched her child..her first born being beaten and his life draining from him! Mary knew that something powerful would come after but she still had to watch him as he died for those who called him bad names and spit upon him..and she still grieved as her son was buried even though she knew that there was more than this, she knew that God had a big purpose for all of this pain that was endured on her son and the sorrow of watching him as he died!

1 John 4:7-19

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us."

Jesus paid a ransom for many so that we could be saved through the love of his ultimate sacrifice, because of that sacrifice you can now be saved and become set free of your sins! Jesus died for everyone because he loves us all just the same and he has prepared a place for us in Heaven! He's coming back sooner than we think so let's get ready for his return! We will be with him for eternity and be free from all pain and sorrow of this world and we'll be with the loved ones who have gone before us! What a wonderful day that will be!

~Dani

~God, Help Me!~

From day to day we have to decide if we want to serve God or if we want to go solo and live without God,

Even though we might think that it wouldn't be very difficult to live it alone..We simply couldn't live without a higher power! No matter how strong you may be..no matter how many people you may have in your life to help you..You cannot make it on your own, you would be a wonderer all of your days and never be truly satisfied in life without a higher power..if you pushed God away!

Even King David had to ask God for help often, in fact David cried out for help all throughout Psalms! He cried out to God many times for help!

Psalms 88:9

"my eye grows dim through sorrow.

Every day I call upon you, O Lord;

I spread out my hands to you."

In this next verse you can tell how David depends on his God in all areas of his life, he knew how merciful God would be to him even though he failed God in his life very often! God was his continual strength and he was known as a man after God's own heart!

Psalms 57:1-3

"Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,  till the storms of destruction pass by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!"

David knew that God would always come through! In times of trouble..God was there! In times when David just didn't know what to do..he would seek God's guidance!

I think we need to go back to that place in our relationship with God, we need to get back to the point when we can come to God in confidence and have no doubt that God would come through for us! We have so much going on in this world nowadays that can distract us from hearing God's voice, back in the bible days there weren't as many distractions and God's voice could be heard more clearly!

If we could ever make God our number one priority in life..we would come to realize just how important God's opinion of us is and we'd be able to easily see God's purpose for our lives!

God makes time for us..lets make time for him, because God has given us life and most of all..he's given us forgiveness and new mercy with everyday!

So when you're crying out to God and you're confused or disappointed in your life..know that God can and he will help you with whatever you may be facing! God is already there all you need to do is ask him for help and he will come to your aid!

Don't worry, God's got this!

~Dani

~According to his purpose~

Romans 8:28

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

It's hard living in the world these days..especially if you're a Christian but if those who didn't know Christ knew the truth of what's getting ready to happen..they would confess Jesus as their Savior today!

God never intended for us to be separated from him but sin creeped in and showed it's ugly face and hid us from THE TRUTH..That truth is that Jesus Saves!

It's God's plan for us to dwell in his courts someday!

When I think about the day when we'll be caught up with our Lord I think of this song.."Better is one day in your courts, better is one day in your house, better is one day in your courts than thousands elsewhere, than thousands elsewhere"

Nothing on this earth will ever compete with the awesomeness that God has waiting in Heaven for us! Nothing we could feel, hold, own, build, discover, see, taste or experience in this life could compare to all that God has in store for us! Nothing compares to the greatness of the purpose and plan that God has created and destined for us to dwell in! No one else's love could compare to his love for us!

Anything that has made us happy on earth is going to be EVEN BETTER IN HEAVEN! The world can't compare to the Joy that's coming when Jesus Takes all those who have claimed Jesus as Lord and those who have confessed their sins, If you have asked him to forgive you and wash you clean of your sins then guess what? I'll see you in Heaven someday and we will be happier than we could ever be and there will be no more pain or tears, no more disappointments from this world, no more suffering! We will be with the loved ones who have gone before us and we will worship and celebrate Jesus for eternity..forever we will reign beside our master, our Lord, our Savior, the lover of our soul!

What a day that will be! What a day when we will have no more fears of this world and the Devil will be locked away to never bother us again! We will be free indeed!

We'll be singing.."O' Happy day! When Jesus washed..he washed our sins away!"

Revelation 22:20-21

"He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen."

~Dani

~We have to hold on to hope~

One thing is for certain..we cannot allow our hope to die, for what is life if you don't have hope to help you carry on!

When we are in an uncertain time in our lives..the thing that never fails to bring us back is hope! One must never lose hope because hope is the powerful thing that helps drive us to our destination!

Romans 8:24-26

"For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."

When you just don't know what to do in your life, when you aren't certain of how you're going to get past a situation in your life, when you just cannot see beyond where you're at, when you've done all you can possibly do and it seems like nothing is left..HOLD TIGHT TO HOPES ROPE! Let hope pull you out of that bad situation and into something good!

Speak the name of Jesus and never let your hope die..For it is Hope and God that can get you out of anything in life! Hope will carry you part of the way and God will carry you the rest of the way! Don't give up and know that with God you can make it through!

Hope is like a train and God is like the tracks..the tracks will allow the train to be safely lead us along until we reach our destination! We must trust in God and have the hope that it's all going to workout and be alright in our life!

~Dani

~Patience is a virtue?~

Psalms 37:7

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!"

With everything that's going on in the world these days It's nearly impossible to have patience but if you can be strong enough to have patience you will have blessings and such favor in your life!

I don't know how many times I've questioned God for the times of trouble that I had been in, sometimes we just simply cannot have the patience that we need to wait it out and allow God to see us through but somehow we cannot wait as well as we once could, back in the bible days it was easier to remain constant in your walk with God because there weren't any electronics to interrupt their times of prayer and supplication to God!

We have somehow allowed technology to suddenly control our prayer schedules that we feel as though we don't have the opportunity to study the word or even pray anymore..it's suddenly become a once a week thing..if that!

If we cannot be dedicated to God like we should be then how can we ever expect the things in our personal lives such as relationships, jobs, goals, hopes and dreams to be taken care of? If we cannot value our relationship with our God then how could we ever take care of someone else someday? We have put God on the back burner too many times in our lives, so much that there are times when we allow "God's will" to become our plan B in life, when God's plan should be the only plan in our lives! We make so many bad choices daily, so what makes us think that we could ever truly survive without God leading us? 

There's a song by avalon that I keep in mind every time I begin to fall back into the flesh, this song always brings me back to God's plan and keeps me focused on what matters the most. It says this..

"I could live life alone and never fill the longings of my heart, the healing warmth of someone's arms, and I could live without dreams and never know the thrill of what could be, with every star so far and out of reach, I could live without many things, and I could carry on, But I couldn't face my life tomorrow without your hope in my heart I know, I can't live a day without you, Lord, there's no night and there's no morning without your loving arms to hold me, you're the heartbeat of all I do, I can't live a day without you!"

Our life should be just that, it should be about "I can't live a day without you..Lord, there's no night and there's so morning without your loving arms to hold me!" That's what our lives should be about! We should be willing to give our lives to God and have the faith that God will give us the patience to continue even after we have reached our destination! Even after God gives you the desires of your heart..don't forget to praise him for the blessing that he gave you! Life is short so give your life to the one who really values your life and wants to see you prosperous and successful! And as for patience..God will help you with that!

I used to be impatient in most areas of my life but if you ask God to help you to have more patience..He will help you! He helped me and even though I'm still waiting for the one thing in life that I've always dreamed of..I'm not giving up on that dream because I know who's holding onto that dream for me, keeping it safe until it comes safely into my arms,

Besides, aren't the best things in life the things that we wait the longest for?

~Dani

~Try a little Tenderness~

Ephesians 4:32

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

Today we're going to talk about being kind and tenderhearted toward each other, it's very important to love your neighbor and also to love yourself! God wants us to comfort each other in a Christ-like manner! We should lift each other up and we should also lift ourselves up when we're down..in other words speak life to your neighbor as well as speaking life into yourself! Be positive..you didn't hear about Jesus being negative in the bible..so keep that in mind in your life, be like Christ!

Luke 10:27-28

And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

If you ever lose your ability to love others then you have lost your faith in God because God is love and he commands us to love others as we love ourselves! 

Don't lose site of what's important and don't forget what you're called to do.."To Love others"

We are all called to love our neighbors, that is our duty not only as Christians but as human beings, if we let our love grow cold then we have lost everything that really matters!

I've heard it said that love is complicated, but it's only complicated if you try to live your life without it, think about that today and let love heal your heart..love is as strong as death so I know that it's powerful enough to heal old wounds in your life! Let love rule in your life and you'll be closer to Christ and his purpose for your life!

Try a little tenderness and see your life be transformed, you'll be amazed at the difference you'll see in your life and the people around you will notice the change in you too!

~Dani

~When will I be Comforted?~

In Life at times we are presented with difficulties and hard times that we cannot tell others about, when these kind of issues occur in our lives there is only one who can comfort us.."God" he's the only one at those times who understands what our situation is and the one who can bring us the comfort that we need!

When we cannot find the words to say..speak the name of Jesus! He really knows all and can truly comfort us at the times when we are at a loss for words!

He sees our pain and he cares! when we cry..he sees our every tear..every tear that falls down our cheek he sees! He never wants to see his children hurt or in despair, he wants to help you out of that situation and see you smiling again!

God is the only one who knows everything about us..the good and bad but somehow he still loves us just the way we are! It doesn't matter what you've done in your life..it doesn't matter if you've hurt someone else..it doesn't matter how many times you've sinned in your life..GOD LOVES YOU! That's all that matters right now is that he loves you! He knows your every sin..he knows them all and yet he still calls us by name and calls us his children! He is proud to call us "his" and he wouldn't trade us for anything! He sees the value in each of us and has a special purpose for all of us! Whatever it is that you may be facing currently..I want you to know that he sees you and he is with you, walking beside you as you're walking in a deep pit in your life and he has a heart for the pain that you're facing now and he longs to bring comfort to you! Allow him to draw close to you right now and allow him to bring you the comfort that you so desperately need in your life! Whatever your situation is..Call out to God and he will bring you comfort because he is the comforter! He is everything that we could ever need and he brings us the healing and the miracles that we need in our lives! Don't be afraid to put your difficult situation in his hands..He can help you through the hardest issues..God is bigger than any struggle you could ever face in life..so put it in his hands and trust in him that he will heal your situation!

Remember this..NOTHING IS TOO DIFFICULT FOR GOD TO HANDLE!

~Dani

~Remain Thankful and Joyful~

Psalms 95:1-6

"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!"

It's very important in our lives to remain thankful for the things we have, for the hard times we've made it through and for the good people we meet along the way!

Whatever it may be, we should have a good aspect for our life and enjoy the good times and work through the bad times knowing that the bad times will come to an end someday! 

There is no reason to waste your life being angry and negative all the time, that is not good and will drain your joy out of your life! God has bigger and better plans intended for you! Rise up and call yourself blessed because YOU ARE INDEED BLESSED!

It's time to enjoy your life now..not later! Life is much too short to lead a life of disappointment and struggle, instead start claiming success and triumph over your life!

It's your decision to make..you don't have to be held down by depression in your life! You can choose to be happy from day to day! 

I've found in my personal life that Once you decide you're not living your life for everyone else pleasing them by giving constantly of yourself to them and you're miserable in your own life and you're not taking time to make your life full and happy then there's a problem there! The day I decided to be happy with my own life was the day that others started to see the joy in my life and they wanted to surround me and become my friends! That's what I did and now I'm the happiest I've ever been! Make the choice and you can be thankful and happy as well in your own life!

It really does feel good I must say!

Don't sweat it, God's gonna pull you through it!

~Dani

~Please, Remember Me..~

As my birthday is today I wanted to share a little bit about myself with you, 

Growing up I wasn't wealthy or from a big town either, I came from a little town called "Hartville" in Missouri, We lived on a 52 acre farm and raised cows, chickens, even beagle pups, and we would always plant a big garden every year and my dad would tell me countless stories of his granddad "Wes" and how his granddad taught him so much about gardening and how it really applied to life..taking care of your life as you do a garden,

I remember one year when I was about seven years old my dad let me plant the whole cornfield by myself because I really wanted to grow something that I planted all by myself, when the corn finally grew it was the sweetest, most crisp, healthy corn we had ever had! I was so happy because of how proud my dad was of me! I decided at that very moment that I always wanted to please my dad in my life and also to spend my life serving God, I knew that as long as I could please my earthly father as well as my Heavenly Father..I would truly find happiness in my life! 

I remember when we moved away from my first home and we moved from Missouri to Texas, I was afraid that everyone would forget about me because of how young I was when we left..when I was ten we moved away but the thing that made it bare able was the fact that we were following after God's plan and will of taking a church in Texas, I wasn't sure what to expect or how many things would change in our lives but I knew as long as we were a family that was in the will of God..I knew we would be alright and we would be happy, I'm not going to say that I don't miss the old days in Missouri..I will always have a heart for the town I'm from and the people who once lived there or the few people who still live there, but I am greatful for many things in my life now in Texas also..I wouldn't want to go back because most of the people that lived there when I was a kid has either moved away, passed away or they do not remember me anymore but I'm starting to see that it's okay..and I appreciate the ones who do still remember me and I find peace by the memories we made there..

You see..In this life it's not so much about the money or fame..It's really about leaving a legacy that people will remember you for, not everyone will remember you by name but most people will recognize a familiar face, in life you must take a chance for what you truly want and to let go of the things you really don't need to really be happy! 

And remember to take the time to be around your loved ones and cherish them all with your every breath and overusing the words "I love you" 

it's not the shiny cars and money that makes them proud of us..it's the love that we share, the time that we cherish and the memories that we take the time to build with them! 

They want to see a smile on our faces and feel loved when we enter the room, they want us to find success and value out of this life and they want to see us live our lives to honor others and feel value in ourselves,

And most importantly..our parents or whoever raises you wants you to serve God and give of yourself to benefit the good people of this world and make a good difference that people will remember you for!

Build a good legacy and the most important people in your life will always find room in their memories for you!

I'm so thankful and I feel so blessed to have been raised by Godly parents who have taught me the importance of how to treat others and also what the true meaning of life is..and someday when I have a family of my own..I'll pass those things on to my children and my future husband will have valuable things he will pass on to our children and they will pass it on to their kids and so on..leaving a legacy to be proud of..

~Dani