I will be celebrating my birthday by giving you my ebook, “A Seed of Hope: God’s Promises of Fertility.”
It will be FREE on Amazon on 2/11/13!
Celebrating My Birthday
The Season of Waiting
Waiting…
It’s not fun.
In our American “get it NOW” society, we tend to want our desires to manifest immediately. We don’t like waiting.
But the old saying “good things come to those who wait,” still rings true. Sometimes an incubation period is needed for in order for us to see the desired end result. Seeds don’t produce immediately after they are planted. Farmers and gardeners have to wait. It takes time before the seed produces the first sprout which forces its way through the soil to bask in the sunlight and continue to grow.
Even God waits. He planted many “Word seeds” through His prophets who predicted a Savior/Messiah would come. But He waited through many generations. He desired for Jesus to come to the earth and save mankind but it took hundreds of years before Jesus was born. Sending Jesus was indeed the BEST thing that God has done for mankind but God patiently waited for the right time!
You may be waiting on a desired result that seems impossible to come through, only because it’s taking so long to manifest. But hang in there! The seed is about to sprout. There is HOPE! You’ll find it in Hebrews 10:35, 36:
“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.”
I pray that you’ll endure this season of waiting with hope, peace and joy!
Focus Friday
Focus on the following scripture throughout the day. It’s God’s Word and it’s what He desires us to believe. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Speak this Word to yourself throughout the day. Personalize it by putting your name in it!
“But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.”
~~Deuteronomy 30:14 [ESV]
How We Weather a Storm
Winter is usually not too cold in central Arizona. But this year’s winter has been decidedly different. Most of the plants in our front yard took a hard hit from below-freezing temperatures a few weeks ago. Take a look at this 7 foot tall victim:
If you look near the bottom of this plant, you can see that it had been a large and rather lush green bush before the freeze. But now, because it did not have what it takes inside the bush to keep it from reacting to the extremely cold desert temperatures, it appears to be close to death. Major pruning will be required to bring it back to its once verdant and healthy state.
But just 10 feet away, in the same freezing temperatures, sat this pot of flowers:
These flowers emerged victorious! They weathered the storm VERY well—something inside of them kept them strong and almost non-reactive to the harsh circumstances.
Our lives can be the same way. We can weather the storms of life and come out damaged, messed up and not having anything that looks appealing about us. BUT, if we have something inside of us, or should I say Someone inside of us, we can weather the storms of life and come out victorious, looking unscathed and healthy, like these flowers did. We can continue flourishing and give others joy through the beauty within us.
We’re blessed to have a God and Savior who loves us and puts His Holy Spirit in us to aid us in all our times of need. It is He who enables us to weather the storm and yet flourish so that others will see that His exceptional love, attention, and grace are just what they need in their lives.
Positive Thoughts
Sometimes it’s hard to think positive thoughts, especially in the midst of trying circumstances!
But when we are faced with what seems an insurmountable problem or even sure defeat, that is the most crucial time to think positively. Psalm 8:2 tells us that praise is what silences the enemy so it’s an important part of our strategy in the battles and hardships that we face. It’s not always easy to implement that strategy, especially in the struggle of infertility, but it’s critical to do so in order maintain hope.
Philippians 4:8 [NLT] says, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
How will you maintain positive thoughts throughout the rest of your day?
Focus Friday
Focus on the following scripture throughout the day. It’s God’s Word and it’s what He desires us to believe. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Speak this Word to yourself throughout the day. Personalize it by putting your name in it!
“You will have plenty to eat, and be satisfied, And will praise the name of the LORD, your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And my people will never again be disappointed. “~~ Joel 2:26 [HNV]
I know you’ll find hope from this family’s story. God has done a wonderful work in their lives!
Magnified Hope
Today is the day we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. His words of hope have real meaning in any situation, but these words are especially meaningful in the struggle of infertility:
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
Focus Friday
Focus on the following scripture throughout the day. It’s God’s Word and it’s what He desires us to believe. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Speak this Word to yourself throughout the day. Personalize it by putting your name in it!
“…and great grace was upon them all; neither was there any among them that lacked.”
~Acts 4: 33,34~
Focus and Finish
At the beginning of every year, I try to designate a scripture that be my “theme” for the year. The scripture becomes a focal point that helps me to expect good things, remember where my help comes from, and know Who it is that loves and favors me.
It’s important to me to set the stage of 2013 with a scripture that will impact not only my personal life but also my business. I believe God’s Word brings illumination and Life [Ephesians 1:17,18; John 6:63] to our lives and I definitely need those for this year. This year is bringing big changes in my life, which include building a business as an author and speaker and my husband and I becoming official empty-nesters later this year. I know I have to press into God in order to manage these and other changes well!
I’m still looking for the verse(s) that will be “the one” but here are some I’m considering:
- Psalm 65:11 ~ “You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance.” [NIV]
- Psalm 84:11 ~ “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”
- Jeremiah 17:7,8 ~ “But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.” [NLT]
- Colossians 1:10 ~ “Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.” [NLT]
Do any of those resonate with you? I’d love to hear what you think, especially if you’d like to suggest other scriptures. Here’s to focusing on God’s Word and finishing strong!
