A Sweet Place of Grace

There is a place of grace that you have to stay in during even the most toughest of times.  It is a sweet place where God gives you the strength to hold on and keeps you so that you can see beyond your circumstances. It is during this time that you have to sacrifice your doubts and fears and realize the necessity of God's word to get you through it.  Romans 5:3-5 says "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  By whom also we  have access by faith into this grace, wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God".  The awesome thing about this place of grace is that it could be in the midst of the joy of your favorite worship song unto God or in the peace of being on your knees at 5:00 a.m. in the morning when everyone else is sleep. It could also be in the lifting of your hands when you have nothing else to say and most of all in the profession of God's word when you are telling the enemy to flee.  Whatever the time or the test just remember that God is doing something on the inside of you that will be a blessing for someone else. It is in this place of grace that God is increasing your faith and bringing you closer to Him!

In His Grace,
First Lady J

New Year, New Level, New Life!

This is a New Year and a new level for you!  It is a new place and time in your life to do something you haven't done and to accomplish what you have yet to achieve.  It is an opportunity to leave the past behind and grab ahold to your future, your God-given destiny. So, don't let anyone or anything stop you; not even yourself!  I had to say this to myself the other day.  I  had to say I can write my blog, work on my second book, and most of all love and serve the Lord my God with all my heart!  I can still be the best wife and mom I could ever be and enjoy time with my family! I can have peace in Christ in the midst of my full, busy and sometime hectic days and still expect the impossible that only God can do!  In reality, I had to crucify my flesh, my own ways, and my own fears of not balancing it all, that I had become so comfortable with.  I had to ask God to baptize me in mind, soul and spirit and teach me how to live on this new level in my life that He has brought me to.  And this is what God said to me in Romans 6:4 "Therefore we are buried with Him in baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of God the Father; even so we also should walk in newness of life." Jesus died and rose again just for you to experience new life in Him!  So, embrace the deliverance He has given you from your past and let God be your guide to fulfill all He has ordained you to do!

Praying with you on the journey,
First Lady J

Step by Step Go Forth!

Have you been making plans for this year? I mean really... have you been writing down things that you want to do? Setting goals? Strategically planning how you're going to accomplish it? If you haven't already done so you need to do so now, because if you don't, you never will! Time is of the essence. There are things that God wants to do in you right now. You have heard his voice and know in your heart what you are supposed to do. So, seek His direction and receive His instruction on what to do first. Ephesians 5:15-17 says "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." So, take the time to do so. Everyday do something new. Little by little, step by step, you will meet your goal if you stay consistent, persistent, and diligent with what God has called you to do. No one can do it better than you! Believe that. I am praying for you as you go forth!:)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Happy New Year!!! There is something about the freshness of the first day of the year!  There is hope and joy and a feeling that great things can happen.  However, for the believer, there is a different type of assurance.  There is a belief that God made a way out of no way for us!  That He allowed us to see another day and that He graced us to see another year!  We are grateful, unequivocally grateful. We are humble that we made it and that we are alive to say it!  But to take it a step further, we have this grave surety that our God is going to do something in our lives greater than He has ever done before.  We know that He can and we draw closer to Him as we crossover into the New Year because we know we cannot make it without Him.  So, I leave you with this Word from God to encourage you and to move you closer in Him towards your destiny. "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."  Isaiah 43:19. Whooo...I receive it for you!

Expectations for Christmas!

There is an expectation that we have during the Holidays. We look forward to giving gifts and receiving presents, time with family and friends, and a peace and a joy that we can't seem to get at any other time of the year! We get excited about time off from work, much needed rest, and just getting away from the hustle and bustle of life. But how much of our expectation is rooted in God versus people or material things? In other words, what do we spiritually expect to receive from God during this time of the year? If you think about it we only have a couple of weeks left in 2014. What does God want you to hear? What does God want you to see? How can you live your life more for Him and spread His love this Christmas season? What I am really saying is that in the midst of it all, make sure to spend time in prayer. Be still in His presence and give as He has given unto you, by praying for others, speaking His promises, and believing His Word to be true. For in Jeremiah 29:11, He said I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." He sent His Son Jesus Christ to save us so we would not put our hope in earthly things but in the Almighty God who gave them to us in the first place! So, enjoy this Christmas season but let your expectation always be in Him!

Early In The Morning Will I Seek Thee

The presence and the sovereignty of God is what keeps us in awe of Him. If you haven't got up yet early in the morning to sit, kneel, or lay before Him, do so. There is nothing like the peace of mind you have when you know that someone greater than you, greater than this earth, is watching over you and is in control.   David said in Psalm 63:1 "Oh God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is." You have too seek to hear His voice and seek to hear Him through His Word. In a world that sends out so many mixed messages, you need the wisdom of God on how to live each day through Jesus Christ. There you will find joy, peace, rest, and favor.  You will experience the presence of God like you have never known if you just get in position and reverence who He is. You will hear His voice and He will quench your thirst. He will flood your soul with the fact that He is God and God alone, and has saved and delivered you through His Son!

Pray Like You Never Have Today

Pray. Pray. Pray like you never have before today. Pray to your Father, like Jesus did, even in the midst of the pain. Pray to the One who loves you so much. Pray to the One who always looks out for you no matter what. Pray so that you can hear what He has to say. Lay down your burdens today. Whether you're happy or sad, lonely or dismayed, pray anyway so that He can show you the way. Pray today because you love Him in so many ways.  I Thessalonians 5:17 says "Pray without ceasing". One may think that to pray without ceasing you have to be on your knees every day. But prayer is more than just bowing your head or falling to your knees. Prayer is when you are in constant communication with your Father; when you are open to hearing what he has to say no matter what time of day. Your spirit is open to hear what He has to say through His Word in every way. Have you prayed today? If not, don't delay. He is waiting to hear from you. He wants you in His presence to stay.

First Lady J