How big is your faith?

"Then Jesus put his hands over their eyes and said, "You will have what your faith expects!""
‭‭Matthew 9:29 TPT

How big is your faith? Christ tells us, in Matthew, that we will have what our faith expects. Such a powerful statement.

So if we have little faith, we expect little things, but if we have BIG faith, we expect BIG things.

Man, do I want God to do big things in my life. My faith needs to match that. How much are you believing for?

Be Blessed and have BIG faith!!

That kind of faith..

"Pressing in through the crowd, she came up behind Jesus and touched the tassel of his prayer shawl. Instantly her bleeding stopped and she was healed.

Jesus responded, "Beloved daughter, your faith in me has released your healing. You may go with my peace.""
‭‭Luke‬ ‭8:44, 48‬ ‭TPT‬‬

In Luke we hear the story of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' garment to be healed. She didn't ask to be healed, she didn't come before the Master and beg Him...she only believed!!

Wow, what a lesson we can learn. What if we all had that kind of faith? What if we all believed that Jesus would do those kind of miracles in our lives? Our lack of faith causes us so much pain. We must believe, we must have the faith to touch the hem of His garment.

Faith like that can change your life, faith like that can change the world.

Be Blessed!

The shepherd...

"Lord, even when your path takes me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer me, for you already have! You remain close to me and lead me through it all the way. Your authority is my strength and my peace. The comfort of your love takes away my fear. I'll never be lonely, for you are near."
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23:4‬ ‭TPT‬‬

The passion translation gives a deeper clarification to Psalms 23. Sometimes God's path takes us through those deep dark valley. He chooses to do this so we will rely upon Him.

He will conquer our fears. He will lead you through the dark times, he will comfort you with His love. He will send you strength and peace.

When you feel you can't go any more, you can't take another step, He is right there beside you, picking you up and carrying you! He loves you!

Be Blessed!

Trials...

"We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously."
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:13‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Trials, man they stink! We wish we never had to experience them. But it's not about the trial, it's about what you do with them.

Now we can be human and let the test and trials overwhelm us, maybe give in or give up. Or, we can be a child if the King and rely on Him. Our God is ever faithful, He gives us a way out, a way to overcome. But we will never know that way if we don't trust in Him.

What trials are you going through right now? Do you know the way out? I know someone who does!! Trust in Him!

Be Blessed!

Anger

"My dearest brothers and sisters, take this to heart: Be quick to listen, but slow to speak. And be slow to become angry, for human anger is never a legitimate tool to promote God's righteous purpose."
‭‭James (Jacob)‬ ‭1:19-20‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Anger: It took me a long time and a lot of heart break to figure this out. When I was younger I was cocky and had an attitude. When I was wronged I became angry and let it show. The results were never good. And my witness as a believer suffered for it.

Anger is a legitimate feeling. But to use anger as a tool is never good and accomplishes nothing. As a matter of fact, it destroys your witness and takes away any respect you might have had from others.

Be slow to anger, take a deep breath, pray and let God show you a better solution.

Be Blessed!

Isabella Grace

Isabella Grace

October 17th, 2009 to August 24th, 2020

Today, my house is empty. Their is no one to greet me at the door, no pitter-patter of little paws, no snuggles, no fur babies. The unwavering love of a loyal friend makes these times even harder. But we loved her too much to see her in pain. 

Isabella Grace: meaning "consecrated to God", "gracious". She always walked with grace and was the princess of the house. 

Our Izzy has battled tummy issues for several months, but she declined more and more after the loss of her life long brother, two months ago. She never went to bed without knowing where he was, and since his passing she has been lost without him.

Izzy came home in 2009 to a house full of love. That little black puppy grew into our 'Pretty Girl'. She would give kisses any chance she got, and wake you up with a touch of her paw to say "Hey dad, I'm hungry."

She has gone by many names: Izzy, Bell-bell, Bella, she didn't care what you called her as long as you called her for supper. She was ever the chow -hound. 

She was shy and introverted. She stayed in the background and didn't like the attention. But whenever you turned around, she was always by your side. She loved her family unconditionally.

She had "momma bear" instincts and always protected her loved ones. Even if it meant barking at Dad while he was trying to hug her Momma.

She loved to roll in fresh cut grass, chase the squirrels and guard her yard. She cherished her toys but didn't like to share. Her favorite spot was the back of the couch, watching over her family. 

We got one last day of our favorite snacks, one last belly rub and one last kiss. Our princess is gone, but we know she is cuddled up with brother, waiting for us on the other side. Rest easy Sweet Girl, we love you to the moon and back. 

Love,

Mom and Dad

Isabella

 My precious Isabella is hurting today. 

In February/March of this year she began having chronic diarrhea. We just assumed for a while that it was because she eats everything. Her float test were negative but she had a ton of bacteria in her stool. For a while, the antibiotics helped. Then they didn't any longer.

So we began working with the concept that maybe, just maybe she had an inflammatory bowel disease, so we added some steroids and some pro-biotics. Things were OK off and on, but never really better. We considered that possibility that she had some type of GI cancer, but the only way to find out for sure was to operate, and we weren't ready to put her through that pain. And if we did, what would it resolve? It was tell us that our fears were true, and their really wasn't a treatment. So why put here through that?

She had lost from 18 lbs in February to about 15 lbs in June when she lost the love of her life, Isaac.

Isabella cared more for brother than she cared for anything, when he got tired and confused or couldn't see, she was there to guide him. She loved on him, made sure he was sleeping and made sure he knew where his food was and how to get outside. Some days it was just precious to watch how much she cared for him. 

Brother passed, and he is at peace now. But  Isabella has never recovered from his loss. She looked for him daily for days and weeks. She smelled him, but couldn't find him. And I truly believe, that she gave up. She gave up trying to find him, she gave up on life, she gave up on fighting the battle any more. 

Her diarrhea got worse and she declined. As of August, she was down to 13 lbs. She had lost over 30% of her body weight, her worst day was last Sunday. She had vomited and had diarrhea in the house, outside, in our bed, she was pitiful. 

So Monday, we went back to see Dr. Stephens, with the intention that if we didn't find something, we were going to let her go. Dr. Stephens had promising news, he found ONE hookworm in her float test, ONE! Maybe this was the answer we needed.

So we came home on de-wormer and hoped for the best. The next day we had a descent poop and I had high hopes. But it didn't get any better, she was nauseated, didn't want to eat, was tired all the time. Her stools went back to watery and loose. 

I called Dr. Stephens again, he was been so great, and talked to him. He suggested that we change antibiotics and try that. I know he is as frustrated as we are, he loves all his patients like they are his own. But Mom and I talked, she was living a miserable life. Nobody wants to have to poop all the time, nobody wants their belly to ache all the time. She was miserable. And worse yet, her favorite thing to do, eating, was just a struggle for her. She no longer liked her food, because it had medicine in it. She was tired, and weak.

So Mom and I decided to just love on her, to let her eat her good food. To love on her, to let her go. It has to be the toughest decision we have made but I believe it is the right decision. She needs peace and rest and she needs to be with brother. 

I think that I have taken Izzy's decline worse than I did Isaac. I think it is because I feel like I failed Izzy. We didn't have an answer to what was causing her problems. We knew with Isaac that we could buy time, we knew that his kidneys were failing. But I don't know what is wrong with Izzy. All I know is that she is sick and I can't fix it. My job as a nurse, as a husband and as a Dad is to fix problems for my family. To love on them and to take care of them. I have not been able to fix Izzy. I have not been able to find the problem. I have failed her. 

I also believe that it is the finality of the situation. Isaac and Izzy were synonymous. If you saw one, you saw the other. If you spoke of one, you spoke of the other. They were inseparable. Once Izzy is gone, it will be final. It will be done, my babies will only be in my memory. How do you forget someone that has been such a big part of your life. I will be lost. 

But I pray for God's peace. peace that I have made the right decision for my sweet girl. Peace for Izzy, that she won't hurt anymore, that she will get rest. Peace that she is no longer alone and she is with brother.

I love you Izzy, I hope you know that Daddy does this out of love. My Sweet Girl!!

Love, Dad

Only one way...

"Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me."
‭‭Mark‬ ‭8:34‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Give up your own way...what a powerful statement. I have tried it my way, it doesn't work. So many times we have and issue or a problem, and we pray about it, but we don't follow God, we do it our own way.

Trust me, our way never works. To be a follower of Christ, we must do it His way. No exceptions! We must put our faith in Him. His way may not be the way we want to go, but in the long run, it is the better way.

Take up your cross, follow Him!!

Be Blessed!

Fear

"So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father." For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children."
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:15-16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sometimes, and for me it is today, we have a fearful spirit. We forget who our father is. We forget that we can bring those fears to Him and He will love us and protest us and wipe away those fears.

But for days that we forget, we must be reminded. We must dive into His word and give our fears to Him.

We are His children's and He is our loving, protective father. Put your trust in Him.

Be Blessed!

I will be with you...

"When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you."
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Fear is the worry that something is happening that you have no control over.

Isaiah tells us not to worry. That when we go through deep waters, or walk through the fires, our God will be with us. We will not drown and we will not be consumed by the fire. Our God will see us through.

What are you fearing today? I have many, but I trust that my Lord will see me through.

Be Blessed!

Stay alert!!

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are."
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:8-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What a great verse for today's world. The devil lurks on ever corner, every billboard, every TV show, every secular song, every internet add and news show. Yes, we are bombarded by the things of the devil today in this overwhelming information age.

But fill yourself with things of God, be strong in your faith. Rely upon other believers, and be there for them. They are going through the same things you are. Support each other!

Stay alert! and Be Blessed!!

The way of the righteous...

"Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish."
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1:5-6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Continuing in Psalms 1, the sinners, those who have not given their life's to Christ, will not be able to stand with the righteous when called to heaven. They will not have Jesus defending their actions because they are not His child.

But the Lord will know the righteous man, Jesus will defend us to His father. And we will here "Well done!" But the ungodly will be cast into the lake of fire.

I am so glad that I have the Great Counselor by my side, defending me to the Father. How thankful I am for the cross and that I am a Blessed Man!!

Be Blessed!

Whatever he does, prospers...

"He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away."
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1:3-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Continuing in Psalms 1, the godly man is like a tree planted by the river. His roots are deep in its godly foundation. He is feed daily with God's living water, His word. He doesn't wither up against a fight or wind, He is strong and stands his ground against the enemy. Everything that he does prospers and he brings forth good fruit.

But ungodly men are blown back and forth by the wind, they don't have good roots. They jump into whatever blows their way and they do not produce fruit in their season.

Which tree do you want to be? As for me, I want to be planted by His living water! I want to prosper.

Be Blessed!

Blessed is the man!!

"Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night."
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1:1-2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Psalms 1 has always had a special place for me, by far my favorite chapter in the Bible! It is where my sign off, "Be Blessed!", comes from.

Blessed is the man, the man who doesn't follow his sinful friends or hang our with the wrong crowd. Blessed is the man who delights in God's word, who reads it daily!!

Yes, God blesses that man! Now I am not perfect, far from it, but my God has blessed me beyond belief!! Are you that man that David was talking about?

Be Blessed!

Don’t cave, He didn’t...

"So consider carefully how Jesus faced such intense opposition from sinners who opposed their own souls, so that you won't become worn down and cave in under life's pressures."
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:3‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Do you ever feel like the pressures too much? Do you feel like it would just be easier to give in? Do you ever just want to give up?

The pressure we face in today's world are immense! Social pressure, political pressure, sexual pressure, financial pressure. Sometimes it would just be easier to give in.

But what about Jesus? He faced the immense and horrible pressures of going to the cross. He could have stopped it with a word. He could have caved and saved Himself. But, He didn't, he knew the prize was so much more than Himself. He knew it meant eternally life for you and me! He saw that It was worth it.

Now whatever pressure you face, I am sure they are hard, but the prize to remain faithful to Christ is so much more. Keep the faith, follow Christ example. It will be worth it!

Be Blessed!

Depend on Him for everything...

"I look up to the mountains and hills, longing for God's help. But then I realize that our true help and protection come only from the Lord, our Creator who made the heavens and the earth."
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭121:1-2‬ ‭TPT‬‬

"Father, I acknowledge that everything I need today will come from you. You made the heavens and the earth; You are more than capable of handling any situation I'm dealing with, so I give it to you completely. I look to you to help me, sustain me, and give me Your peace. Remind me of your hope and power today. Thank you in advance for taking care of my needs."

Taken from: "Pray First: Prayer guide." COTH

Faith like a dog...

"It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him."
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:6‬ ‭MSG‬‬

I am an animal lover, a dog guy. Most pups want to please their masters because they believe their master cares for them and loves them. They want to make them happy. They follow his every footstep and want to be by his side day and night.

The dog has faith that their master will lead them, guide them, love and protect them and care for their needs. A dog has faith!!

We as Christians cannot please our God unless we have that same faith. 1. That He exist. 2. That He loves us and cares deeply for us. Like the dog who brings the stick back, we are seeking to make our God happy. And when we have faith and believe that He loves and cares for us we are pleasing to our Master.

Do you have the faith that your God loves you?

Be Blessed!

How big is your faith?

"By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen."
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Christians inherently believe that God created everything, the entire universe. That is one of our fundamental beliefs. We have the faith to believe and understand that one really HUGE thing.

But most Christians don't have enough faith to believe that the same God that created the universe, cares about their problems, their finances, their health, happiness and well being. I am here to tell you that the same God that created the universe, cares about you!!

We have faith in the big things, why not the little ones , why do we not trust our God to take care of our daily needs? Because we believe the enemies lies, we believe that our BIG God doesn't have time for little me.

Stop believing the lies, start putting you faith in the little things! Your God loves you deeply and cares about you greatly. Why not have enough faith in Him to give him your worries, your fears, and your anxieties.

How big is your faith?
Be Blessed!

Patient endurance...

"So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised."
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:35-36‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We may have faith to trust in the Lord, during this moment. But to we have the patient endurance needed to continue to do Gods will? Do we have the resilience to keep pushing forward when we see no progress?

Are we willing to continue in Gods timeline or do we only have faith for our timeline? Keep pushing, keep being patient, keep the faith...the promises God made you are coming... in His time!

Be Blessed!