Got Rest?

 

Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. Mark 6: 31

We can become physically, emotionally and spiritually drained by giving too much time to people, churches or work. How can you know if you are giving too much? Anger, resentment, bitterness, and exhaustion are good thermometers. WE NEED BALANCE.

In order to take charge of our lives and be ready for what GOD has for us, we have to learn to say 'no' sometimes. Don't fear rejection, being passed over, or missing out for times you have to say 'no'. Use those times instead as times of refueling and resting.

We have to be ready in season and out for what God has for us and we can't if we're a 'yes' person that does whatever others want us to do. I.e.,  no people pleasing, people ... because we can't be everything to everyone all the time ... only God can.

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. 2 Timothy 4:2

The key to avoiding burn-out in any area of your life is balance. Honor God’s laws of physical rest and learn to say 'no' to overwork, demanding people and guilt. Be led today BY GOD ... and no longer fear or beat yourself up for times that He sets you aside for rest ... be human and enjoy it.

Father, we pray for true rest … trusting in You. Help us to know Your voice, when to say ‘yes’ to people and when to say ‘no’ without fears or guilt. Help us to rest in You, knowing You have a good plan for our lives and those around us. Don’t pass us over when You have an assignment because we’re too exhausted to even lift a finger. Give us rest, refuel us, refresh us. In Jesus’ name, amen.



Related AFTA blogs:
The Enemy of Busyness
A Real Rest

YES, THIS IS FOR YOU

Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I WILL NOT forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me. Isaiah 49:15,16

Your family and friends may have forgotten about you, BUT GOD hasn't ... His silence does not mean absence.

You’ve always been right there for me; don’t turn your back on me now. Don’t throw me out, don’t abandon me; you’ve always kept the door open. My father and mother walked out and left me, but God took me in (and adopted me as His child). Psalm 27:9,10

What you do/don't do, who approves/disapproves of you, what 'they' think/say about you, whether 'they' thank/appreciate you or how 'they' treat you DOES NOT define you ... you ARE loved, you ARE wanted, you DO matter and you ARE special because of who you are, the best you that you can be.

You ARE NOT just taking up space ... you ARE here for a reason and you ARE a blessing to MANY. Enjoy your life as you learn why through trial and error. Take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy the journey.

Father, thank You that despite hurtful rejections from our family, our friends, and the world, You take us up and adopt us as Your own and take care of us. Bring healing to our hurting hearts. Help us to forgive. May the things that life and people have inflicted on us not break us or stop us from the good plans that You have for us. Thank You that we are accepted by You and included in Your family. In Jesus' name, amen.





See related blog of mine:
We're His Kids
DON'T Self-Harm Because of a Relationship
Sister Christian
Encourage Yourself in the Lord
Hands Off

Most Have Had a Hard Life

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other greater commandment than these. Mark 12:30,31

You are a LOT stronger, a LOT smarter and MORE beautiful than you think you are. Do not settle for less than. Do not be gullible or allow people to take advantage of you.

STOP PUTTING YOURSELF DOWN. You are special. You are valuable. And God certainly doesn't make junk. I used to think so little of myself that I would put myself down before others got the chance to hurt me. I reinforced low self-esteem. I did not need any help. When my abuser came along, they did not have to knock me down, I already was down and they fed on that and took advantage. Things others had spoken over me, I spoke over me and the enemy whispered to me sucked me into a 10 year relationship hell. Know that most of the time they at first say and do all the right things and once you are hooked then they turn into someone you do not even recognize anymore.

ABUSERS FEED OFF OF VULNERABILITY AND LOW SELF-ESTEEM. It is better to be alone, I promise, I know. Abuse can be mental, physical, neglect, etc. Abusers do not change. They progressively get worse. And they will separate you from friends, family anyone who cares or could help. Control, intimidation, domination and manipulation are tools of the devil and are used in witchcraft to lead you away from God. FOLLOW GOD and His Way only, all other ways lead to destruction.

ABUSE IS NOT NORMAL AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE SILENT

GET HELP NOW
National Domestic Violence Hotline 1−800−799−SAFE http://www.thehotline.org

Thank God for His mercy and grace. I found freedom when He met me in my mess and shared with me from the Word who I am IN HIM. There REALLY IS life after abuse. Hold your head high. Shake off the shame. Jesus says YOU ARE WORTHY. If you are being abused, get help. If you are headed down that road thru low self-esteem, run the opposite direction and let the love of God set you free. You were made in Gods image, to bring Him glory. Be a slave to NO OTHER.

MOST OF US HAVE HAD A HARD LIFE. Being hurt is NO EXCUSE or REASON to hurt and abuse us. Those who abuse need to get over it, man up, and do the right thing. Treat each other with love and respect.

Father, help us to see ourselves as You see us. Help us to be able to face ourselves, live with ourselves, and love ourselves in a healthy way. Help us to have healthy relationships and remove us from those that are unhealthy. Protect us from all harm. Cover us with Your Blood, Lord Jesus. We pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Related blog entries of mine:

 

Do You Hate Yourself? (part of my story)

Don't Look Back - Enough is Enough (part of my story)

There's Power in Knowing Who You are in Christ

 

 

 

Life Can Be Really Hard Sometimes

I will exalt you, Lord, for You rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death. Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones. Praise His holy name. For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:1-5

I know it’s hard to see past the pain, but PLEASE don’t hurt yourself. Talk to Jesus, a friend, a parent, a pastor, a teacher or call 1-800-273-TALK.

You ARE worth it. Regardless of how heavy life gets. Tomorrow just might be the day of your turnaround.

Father, help us to call out to You when we're in need. Divinely give us what we need or work through Your people to help us. Put people in our path who care. Give us hope to continue on. May we keep on keeping on. In Jesus' name, amen.


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Related blog entries of mine:

Has Today Been a Hard Day?
Don't Self Harm
Encourage Yourself in the Lord

Do You Know Jesus?

 Do you have a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ?

Whether you are married, single, divorced, separated, or even engaged to be married, Jesus longs to be your Husband and best friend - the closest you will ever have or find that will never leave you or forsake you, no matter what.

Most important of all, He wants to be your Savior and Deliverer.

1 Thessalonians 5:9/AMP - For God has not appointed us to [incur His] wrath [He did not select us to condemn us], but [that we might] obtain [His) salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

You see, Father God sent His Son Jesus so that we may have eternal life. He died on the cross and rose again. And He's coming back soon for His children.

Would you like to be considered His child, His bride, His friend? If so, pray this simple prayer:
 
Father, I come to you. I thank you for sending Your Son Jesus to take the punishment for my sins. Forgive me of them. I know that He died and rose again, just for me. Because He loves me. Come into my life, Jesus, and take control. Help me to renew my mind and refuse to believe the lies of the enemy any more. Let me be led by Your Holy Spirit, the Comforter. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues. Thank you that You will never leave me or forsake me. Thank You for peace amidst the frustrations and stresses of this world. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Congratulations on your new life with Jesus!

Get into a good, Bible-based church. Get a Bible and read it as often as you can. Worship Him. Expect your Savior to speak to you, lead you, guide you, comfort you, provide for you, protect you, and be with you until the end of the world.
 
God bless you!

 


But seek ye first the kingdom of God,
and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

 
 
 
 

Feeling Down and Out?

Get up and prepare for action. Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say. Don't be afraid of them ... today I have made you strong ... I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken. Jeremiah 1:17-19

So, in July of this year I got a real bad sunburn on both my legs from floating in the Frio River with sunscreen everywhere on me but my legs (duh). My legs blistered and my feet stayed incredibly swollen for 2 weeks. Then, I got a bad infection on both my legs (from knees to feet), probably from open skin from the sunburn. Those things started to heal and I realized I still could barely walk and was told by the doctor I had vein issues from inadequate blood flow ‘cause my feet were swollen for so long. With compression hose my circulation got better. But almost 2 months later, I’m still struggling to walk. Still severe, gut wrenching pain. Then comes the news from my doctor (all this has caused 9 doctor visits now and 1 emergency room trip) that I have torn ligaments in my ankles and that I need to wear splints on my legs/ankles to let my ligaments heal and give my ankles support. Great. Just what I needed.

You know how it is. I’m sure we’ve all been there at some point in our life. The times that you really have to struggle to find your hope and get out of bed and continue to live your life despite setbacks. I have to keep reminding myself that others have it so much worse than I and God’s been good to me through it all.

The Lord gave me the above verses this morning to help me to motivate to get up today. He wants me to GET UP, GET DRESSED, and GET GOING despite what’s coming against me and to trust Him, knowing He has me and my situation under control.

So … the point is to make sure you put suntan lotion on, everywhere. Ok, that’s not the real point I’m trying to make, but it’s a good one. The real point here is … despite your trials and how down and out you may feel - REJOICE, for He is worthy of your praise. Regardless of what happened yesterday it's going to be a great day today, because you have another day to glorify God. This is the day that the Lord's made ... REJOICE and be glad in it.

Father, I pray that you give us the strength to get up, get dressed, and get going. Above all else today, may Your name be glorified. In Jesus’ name, amen.

How's Your Walk?

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. 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 11:1,6

WE'VE GOT TO LEARN TO DEPEND ON GOD.

Jesus never insisted that the disciples obey Him. Instead, He instructed them to trust Him and to have faith in God. He knew that trust would create obedience because the two naturally go together.

When we don't trust God, we aren't depending on Him. As a result, we begin to feel that we are able to handle things on our own, and we begin to pull away from Him and head in the wrong direction.

WE'VE GOT TO LEARN TO WAIT ON GOD, TRUSTING HIS TIMING.

The Bible clearly states that God acts in behalf of those who wait on Him (Isaiah 64:4). The only way we can learn to do this is to trust in God and believe that He is always working in our best interests.

When we wait, we acknowledge His lordship in our lives, and our trusting faith itself becomes an act of genuine worship.

WE'VE GOT TO WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT OR BY FEAR.

When we learn to walk by faith in God, resting our steps on His every Word, then we will go places we never dreamed of going and accomplish what no one can ever do alone.

JUST DO IT.

There is NO WAY that we can lose when we trust God.

Keep the FAITH - (F)orsaking (A)ll (I) (T)rust (H)im.

Father, this trust thing is hard. Help us to honor You by placing our trust in You. May we believe with child-like faith. In Jesus' name, amen.