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Matthew 5:13-16

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I am a Christian wife and mother of 2. I am the mother of two adult children. My husband is a full time Pastor. I also work full time outside of the home. Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” And for this season of our lives, I have to work. A couple of years ago I asked God for a job using me to serve others and that is exactly what He did. Not in the way I expected, but I am serving! This blog is a way for me to share devotions, whatever the Lord lays on my heart. It is an avenue for me fulfill something I feel the Lord leading me in, which is writing. I am currently working on a book as well!

  • Don’t Worry, Be Ready

    You probably have heard that last week a devastating flood came out of nowhere and ravaged a few counties in Texas. Since then similar flooding events have taken place in other states as well. Some have starting talking about this being signs that we are getting closer and closer to the rapture of Christ’s church.

    I’m not a prophet and I am not a theologian. I won’t even pretend to start laying out timelines and interpret biblical prophecies. But yes, the rapture could take place at any time. And yes these things are just more signs that it’s getting closer and closer. I will post some good resources at the bottom that are excellent at giving biblical prophecy if you are interested.

    Last week as the rain began falling here in our area, I’ll admit—I started to feel anxious. But then the Lord reminded me: Either way, we’re going to be okay! If you are a surrendered, blood bought child of God then you can have peace in all of this.

    These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

    Those are the words of Jesus Christ himself in case you didn’t know. He has it all under control. It may not feel like it to us. We may not understand what is going on and we may not understand His plan. It’s not for us to understand. He is omniscient, which means He knows everything. He sees everything. There is now way our human minds can fathom what He knows.

    But that is beside the point. The point is that if the rapture takes place tomorrow, praise the Lord, I’m ready. I have peace in knowing that I am going to my heavenly home to see my Jesus. The one who has done so much for me. If we get hit with some type of disaster tomorrow, God will see us through that, as He has seen us through everything else.

    You can have that peace as well. If you are reading this you have more than likely already accepted Christ as your Savior. However, just in case you have not, I would invite you to click this link https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/become-a-christian.php to find out how you can find the peace that I am talking about. If you have but you still find it hard to have peace with everything going on, then I understand. It’s a scary world we live in, friend!

    I want to encourage you to remember the verse above and to also remember some other verses. Jesus also says Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27

    I like the whole chapter in Psalms 46. But it starts out with God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. And Psalm 18:2 says The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

    There are so many verses that remind us who God is. All we have to do is study His word for ourselves to be reminded! We shouldn’t be anxious. The word actually even tells us that too. I know it is easier said that done and I’m talking to myself here as well. Because I have to fight the same enemy you do every day!

    But let’s remember these verses and others in God’s word and remember that we are His children and He will take care of us. (Romans 8:28).

    Blessings,

    ~ Cheryl

    For more Bible Prophecy information:

    https://www.youtube.com/@UntilThatDay – Dr. Randal Reese is a trusted friend that has studied Biblical Prophecy in depth.

    https://www.gotquestions.org/ – This website is a good place for any questions about the Bible.

  • Salt, Love and Green Beans

    Some of you know that I usually do a lot of canning this time of year. I haven’t been able to do as much lately because of my finger infection and surgery. But years ago, one of the first things I learned to can was green beans. I was so proud of myself for learning how! Plus, green beans were one of the few vegetables my husband and children actually liked.

    One batch of green beans however did not turn out. We found out the hard way! By opening a jar a few weeks later! They smelled awful. I couldn’t imagine what went wrong. I thought I had done everything right. But then it dawned on me. I left out the salt! That had to be it!

    Salt is a natural preservative when canning vegetables, and it’s amazing what a difference it makes.

    That little mishap reminded me of a powerful verse and partly the inspiration behind this blog’s name:

    “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” Matthew 5:13

    Much like those green beans, once salt loses its purpose, it’s no good.

    We must be the “salt” of the earth. What does that even mean? Well the same way salt preserves food, we are to preserve what is godly in this fallen world. We as Christians are to stand for Jesus and preserve His holiness as much as possible. Preserve the Word of God by standing up for it, when the world wants to ignore or reject it.

    Salt not only preserves, but it adds flavor to food. Just the right amount of salt added to a dish can make it taste so much better! We as Christians can be the same with the way we show the love of Christ in this world. Rather than acting like the ugliness of the world, we are to add the “flavor” of Christ by showing His love. When others are angry or bitter, we can bring gentleness and grace.

    I realize how easy it is to take our anger and aggravations out on others. Especially when we have had a bad or busy day. I believe we have all been guilty of this at one time or another. But we are called to strive to be better, as believers in Christ.

    Now that people are spending more and more of their time on social media, we have to be extra careful as Christians that we are showing the love of Christ and adding just the right amount of “flavor”. Just because someone lives differently than you or voted differently than you, does not give you the right to be ungodly towards them. How does that bring them closer to God? And isn’t that the ultimate goal?

    What we want to do is to speak truth in love. You can speak biblical truth in a loving Christian way. The truth still may offend people, it offended people back when Jesus was doing it. But we must follow His example in the manner in which He handled it. If you handle it the way that He did, you will make more of an impact than you ever could by being ungodly.

    But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Luke 6:35

    It’s hard to respond kindly to people who are coming against us, I know! But seeking His help with this and dying to ourselves each day makes this possible. Every day surrender yourself to His will and pray for His guidance. It truly helps! I challenge you to try it if you don’t believe me! But you have to try it with a willing heart. And watch how God works in your life!

    I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

    Blessings,

    ~ Cheryl

  • Abide: Staying Rooted in the Vine

    When I first accepted Christ I was a teenager. I was all in for Jesus! As a teenager, I hadn’t experienced a lot of life just yet. I felt fully surrendered to God. But as I lived more life, I was a little less surrendered…. I was still in church and doing all of the “church” things. But I had not learned the difference in being saved and being fully surrendered.

    I think we all have to walk out our faith and learn what it means to fully surrender to Christ. But that is what church and discipleship is for. That is why it is so important to be in a good church that is teaching the Word of God from the beginning. If you are not rooted in the Word, and learning as you go, you might miss some important steps.

    But the good news is – it’s never too late to grow. God gives us so much grace and mercy. He allows us to learn and grow in Him even after we have made mistake after mistake. Even after we have pushed Him away and tried to do life our own way!

    I’ve been reading Priscilla Shirer’s book I Surrender All and one of the chapters that have stood out to me so far talks about Abiding. And since I have read that chapter I’ve heard those same verses in a couple of different places (podcasts, sermons etc). The Holy Spirit keeps bringing me back to them and gently reminding me: just abide.

    I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:5

    That particular verse has stood out to me the most. How many times do we get caught up in doing things, even things “for the Lord” yet we leave Him out of it? We take off like a wild horse and forget to abide in Him. We forget to talk with Him about it first and we forget to let Him lead.

    I have been guilty of this so many times! I’ll get an idea. I may even pray about it a little. And then just take off with it without taking much time at all for Him to guide me. Have you ever prayed but you’ve already decided what you want the answer to be so you don’t really wait for the answer from God? Well I’ve done that. I’ve gotten better over the years about taking time and listening to Him first. Letting Him do the leading.

    It’s easy to get caught up in good things, even Christian things, and still be out of alignment with God’s will. The question is:
    Have we consulted the Heavenly Father?
    Are we truly letting Him guide us?

    A few times throughout my career I’ve been tempted and even encouraged to promote to a supervisor position. It’s so tempting just for the raise that comes with it! But extra stress and extra responsibility also comes with it. Now I could probably handle it I believe. I think I’d probably even be good at it. The most recent time that it has come up I really prayed about it (again) and I felt like the Lord was saying “No” – again. He has been dealing with me for years about writing. I know that if I take on a new position with extra responsibility and stress, the writing will be put to the side again. And I know that is not what He wants me to do. I really felt Him saying “I will take care of you, but you know what it is that you need to do“.

    That kind of clarity has come after years of back and forth between me and the Lord. I’ve given Him all my excuses. I’ve told Him I don’t feel like a strong enough writer. But at this point, I’m choosing to be obedient – even if I don’t fully understand the “why.” I’m trying to abide. Because without Him I can do absolutely nothing!

    In John Jesus refers to himself as the Vine. We are the branches. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. John 15:4

    Unless we are abiding in Him, we cannot bear fruit. Our works will be in vain if we are out here running around trying to do everything – and not abiding in Him. Be careful that your works are not outweighing your obedience. Does that make sense? Be sure that you are following Him and not trying to take the lead yourself.

    If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. John 15:7-9

    Blessings,

    ~ Cheryl

    Hey if this was encouraging to you – leave me a comment or share it with someone who might need it!

  • Trust Him When You Cannot Trace Him

    I’ll be honest, this one is a little harder for me to write. I usually try to keep things light hearted and funny. And I really try not to complain too much. But I’m struggling this week. And maybe some of you can relate to what I’m feeling and maybe that’s why I’m feeling led to write about it.

    I’ve been dealing with an infection in my finger for almost two months now. I didn’t know how serious it was at first. When it first started bothering me, I figured it would just go away on it’s own. I tried some antibiotic cream and tried soaking it. After a couple of weeks I finally went to the doctor for an antibiotic and I thought that would surely take care of it. Nope. 10 full days and the finger was still hurting and swollen. It didn’t really look that bad just painful and swollen. So I went back, we tried a steroid and we’ve tried two more antibiotics and a prescription cream and none of it has worked. Finally I had an Xray and it was determined that the infection is in the bone (osteomyelitis). And now I have been referred to a hand specialist. This was all told to me last Tuesday morning. I was scheduled for an MRI, the MRI machine was not working so they had to reschedule the MRI. I had to call the doctor’s office yesterday morning to follow up on getting the appointment with the specialist since I hadn’t heard anything from them. There was a lot of back and forth and calling around but now I’ll be seeing the specialist today.

    I am trying to be patient. And I am trying not to worry about too much. (If you read online about this it can seem pretty scary.) But, the longer this drags out, the harder it is getting. I’ve been praying of course! And I know there is a reason for all of this. But I just can’t imagine what it is. I’ll admit I have not had to deal with a lot of health issues. I’ve been blessed in that way. And this is just such a weird thing! A lot of people have asked me how I got an infection in my finger and I really don’t know. Leave it to me to have something weird. LOL

    It seems like such a minor thing. A finger, I know. But let me tell you, that finger is very important. And it has let me know just how important it is! It’s hard to do anything without bumping that finger. And if it gets bumped just right, it literally feels like it got slammed in the door!

    There is something that a friend of mine says a lot that I have learned to remind myself of in times like this. “Trust Him when you cannot trace Him”. When you can’t see what the Lord is doing or how He is going to work things out, that is when you really just have to put all of your trust in Him. And that is where I’m at right now. I’m having to tell myself that a lot these last few days. Because I sure can’t see what He’s doing here! But I know He has a reason. There is always a reason for our struggles. Even if it is just to bring us a little closer to Him.

    “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

    God is always faithful to see us through. He will see me through this as well. And there will be some type of blessing to come from it.

    I hate to complain because there are so many people dealing with harder situations than mine. But at the same time, God’s promise applies to them as well. Whatever you may be struggling with right now, God’s word makes that same promise to you. James even tells us to count it all joy when we face trials.

    “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2-4

    And in Isaiah God promises to be with us through our trials

    “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10

    So I will keep y’all updated and maybe I just needed to get this out but I feel a little better already! Prayerfully things will work out for the best possible outcome, whatever that may be. I will continue to trust God!

    Blessings,

    ~ Cheryl

  • The Smallest Member

    For a few weeks now I’ve been dealing with a minor health issue. My pointer finger on my right hand has somehow gotten infected and the infection has gotten worse to the point that it is now in the bone, osteomyelitis. I am going today to have an MRI and I am being referred to a hand specialist where they will have to possibly treat with iv antibiotics or possibly surgery. This one little finger has proven to be very important to me these past few weeks, as it has reminded me every time I am getting ready, or doing just about anything, and I bump against something. I am learning to type without, as challenging as that is!

    I am not telling you all of this for sympathy. I have tried not to share much about this as a matter of fact, because to me it seems like such a small and insignificant problem compared to what so many others are going through. But as I’ve been praying about this, I started out praying for it to just go away….. But since it hasn’t gone away, I started praying yesterday and asking God to show me what I am supposed to be learning from this.

    I started thinking about how important I have found my finger to be these past few weeks! And then I thought about the place in the Bible where it talks about the members of our body compared to the members of the church. Paul was writing to the church in Corinth and in chapter twelve he talks about the different members and their spiritual gifts. He compared the body having many members to the body of Christ. “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.” 1 Corinthians 12:12.

    The chapter goes on to talk about the different members and how the body is made of many parts that all work together and this is how it should be with the church, the body of Christ. We are all important and we all have a job to do in the kingdom. We may feel that we are insignificant and that surely we don’t have anything to offer, but I assure you that God has a job for you.

    In studying the chapter further I noticed this:

    “Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:22-26.

    Did you catch that? The weaker members are bestowed more honor. We need all of our parts! In the body of Christ, we need all of our members.

    This reminded me of one of our church clean up days. One of our youngest church members, I’m pretty sure at the time she was about 6 years old, was helping us clean. She helped me clean in the nursery and let me tell you, I was impressed by how well she did! She was a good little cleaner! She was also quite entertaining while we were cleaning too! We have other children in our church that, when given the opportunity to help out with cleaning or working, they pitch in and do a good job. This shows me that even our smallest and weakest members, are needed.

    And think about our elderly members. They are often overlooked in our churches as they are no longer able to do as much actively. But let me tell you what they are doing. They are doing the most important work. They are praying. God has slowed them down and now they are at the point in life that they may not be able to run here and there and do all the things, but they are studying their Bibles and praying more than ever. (Didn’t Jesus say something about that good part?) Don’t forsake those older members and the work they are doing on their knees!

    And I have learned that my finger is a small member of my body, but it is a much needed member of my body! So these verses have proven to be true in both instances. Not that I needed physical evidence to prove the Bible true but God does that for us sometimes.

    I have a feeling that He is going to use this situation to teach me even more as I go through it. I though this was just a good reminder for all of us today!

    Blessings,

    ~ Cheryl

  • Hit in the Head by Pride (Literally!)

    When I was in elementary school, I think maybe around 4th grade I took a softball to school one day. I’ve never been particularly athletic. Let’s face it, I’m not at all athletic! Anyways, I brought this softball to school this day for P.E. time. We had a game of softball. And I didn’t do very well. I got out, big surprise. Anyways I sat to the side pouting and mad because they are playing with my ball and here I am sitting out. Well I was right in the line of fire. Roneeka Brown came up to hit and she hit the ball right towards me. Well I wasn’t looking and that ball came right for me and whopped me right up side the head! (I know some of you are probably thinking that this explains alot and you might be right!) But did I cry? Absolutely not! I was not about to let them see me cry! Did it hurt? Yes, but my pride wouldn’t let me cry or let anyone see me feel any type of pain. I was just that stubborn!

    You see, me being stubborn and prideful and pouting caused me a lot of unnecessary pain that day. And in my adult life I have found that there have been times that my stubbornness and pride have caused a lot more unnecessary pain. I am sure that we are all guilty of this at times.

    I’ve been noticing this more and more lately. How pride seeps into our lives, even as Christians. But we are not called to live pridefully. We are called to walk humbly. It’s easy though isn’t it? Think about a time or times when pride has crept in. It usually happens before we even realize it. That is why it is so important to stay prayed up and rooted in the Word.

    Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

    When have you let your pride get in the way of your walk with the Lord? Sometimes it starts out as a little thing and then it grows into something bigger. And before you know it your pride has caused you to become someone you don’t even recognize. All while you are pretending to be the “good Christian” that you claim to be. Do I sound like I know what I’m talking about? Well that’s because I have been there as an adult Christian more times than I care to admit!

    When I’m talking about pride , I’m not just talking about pride in the sense of bragging about how great you are at something. No, there are many different kinds of pride. You will not likely hear me bragging on myself. But it may be hard for me to apologize when I have done something wrong or said something I shouldn’t have said. That is a form of pride. Maybe you can relate. Or maybe you can relate to pride in the sense of not wanting to accept help when it is needed. There are others ways that pride can show up in our lives. The obvious one being self righteous and thinking we are better than others. We can also be prideful when it comes to our children. (I have been guilty of this one too!)

    Let me start a new paragraph for that one! Not only do we as parents think that are children are the greatest thing since sliced cheese…. Sometimes that blinds us into thinking that our children can or will do no wrong. And friend, that is a dangerous and slippery slope let me tell you. We must also be careful not to put our children on a pedestal above the Lord in our lives (which is another subject that I have written about before and I am sure I will be writing about again). Moving on….

    Pride takes so much away from us and can quickly tear us down. That is why we must be on guard every day. Talk to Him about our struggles and how to handle situations. Be willing to do what is right. Even if we have to swallow our pride. Every day we should be reading God’s Word and allowing Him to minister to our hearts and teach us. And every day, we must die to self.

    I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

    This is just something that has been on my heart for a few weeks now and I have finally taken the time to type out some thoughts. I pray this helps someone today and I will leave you with one more verse that I found.

    But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10

    Blessings,

    ~Cheryl

  • Dear Mama, God Sees You

    This Sunday is Mother’s Day. (Hopefully this is not news to you LOL – If it is, you still have time to prepare!) Naturally, motherhood has been on my mind this week. Earlier this week I posted in a mom group on Facebook. But, there is more to be said about the subject!

    Motherhood is a role that you can never fully prepare for. The emotional roller coaster ride that is motherhood (for most mothers) is not what you expect going in but once you are on the ride, you hold on for dear life! I’ve often heard it said that the hardest part of motherhood is this: you’re raising the very ones you can’t live without… to live without you.

    Every day, moms make countless small sacrifices. Maybe you’ve been late because you had to turn around and grab something your child forgot for school. Maybe you’ve reworked the budget to afford something extra they needed. Some moms have even donated a kidney to save their child’s life. It’s amazing what we moms will do to make things happen for our children.

    God sees you, Mama! He understands your sacrifices.

    “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
    Galatians 6:9

    I believe most mothers go into motherhood hoping to be the perfect Mom. We read all the books. We prepare as much as we can. We all think we have it figured out, don’t we? And then we have this little bundle that throws us curveball after curveball! And the struggle for perfection gets harder and harder!

    I have never been a perfectionist myself, but I know a few people that are. And I see how hard it is. And I do understand the desire to be a perfect Mom. When I have made mistakes as a Mom I remember telling myself, “the one thing you always wanted to be good at, and you couldn’t even do that well”…. Friend, that is a lie from the enemy. Don’t listen to it.

    The only perfect human to ever live was Jesus Christ – And He was God in human form. We can’t expect to be perfect. We can try to be like Him, we should strive to be Christ like, but we should not put so much pressure on ourselves that we stress ourselves and everyone else out.

    I believe “mom guilt” is one of the enemy’s biggest tools to keep us down. That’s why it’s so important to stay in God’s Word—it’s life-giving in every way. I say this as someone who has failed in this area many times. But we weren’t made perfect. God knows our imperfections, and He wants to help us.

    “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
    2 Corinthians 12:9

    Please do not compare yourself to other Moms that seem to have it all together or who seem to have perfect children. I promise you – no one is perfect. Social media only shows the highlight reel – the best parts of everyone’s lives. And if you spend alot of time scrolling, it’s easy to feel discouraged! My challenge to you is this: spend less time scrolling and more time in God’s Word. It will change your life.

    Happy Mother’s Day, Mama. God sees you, He loves you, and He’s walking this journey with you.

    ~ Cheryl

  • How is your Faith?

    What’s on my heart this morning is FAITH! That seems like a general term but I’m talking about serious faith. Faith that God is going to take care of you. Faith that God has things under control. Faith that whatever situation you are in, even when all hope seems lost, that God is going to see you through! Faith that says ‘Lord I don’t know why this is happening but I trust you’.

    I’ve been studying Job the last few days. Now I use to think that I didn’t like the book of Job. I actually told a friend that one time and she said, “then that is the book you need to study”. I just didn’t like what Job had to go through. I didn’t appreciate that the Lord was allowing all of this to happen to a good man. And I talked to my Pastor husband about it and came to the realization that God allowed all of that for a reason. And my husband pointed out to me that Jesus went through a lot too, and he was perfect! I don’t like to think about Jesus’ suffering either. But both Job and Jesus’ stories happened for a reason, a bigger purpose. If for nothing else, these stories (as with all of the Bible), are there to teach us.

    I’m learning so much going through the Bible Recap in the book of Job. I can’t imagine the suffering that he felt. The pain that Job experienced seems unbearable. Not only what all he went through, but then his “friends” were no help. Even his wife wasn’t helping. Job suffered, a lot. But he learned a lot through all of his suffering. And he was blessed tremendously afterwards. One thing that I think everyone knows about Job is that his faith in God, never waivered. He questions God, and he questions himself but he doesn’t give in to losing his faith.

    I’ve noticed that some people will say faith is believing God for the blessings and the overflow! But I will say that faith isn’t always believing God for blessings. But it is believing that God will see you through no matter what. Because sometimes God is allowing us to not be “blessed” for a reason. (“Blessed” meaning our version of blessings.) Our version of a blessing and God’s version of a blessing might be different. We have got to decide to be on the same page as Him. Decide that if God’s answer is no, then He has something better for you. He is going to see you through either way. God knows what is best for you.

    Sometimes our suffering is for someone else’s benefit. I believe that most of Job’s suffering was for the benefit of others. Do we love God enough to be willing to be used by Him, even if it means we may have to suffer in some way? Most of us can probably look at our lives and find a lot of blessings there. Even if we have suffered in our own way, we can find the blessings that have come from it if we look hard enough. If we look at our lives through a spiritual lens, we could see a lot more blessings. Just the fact that God has been so patient with me, is a huge blessing! And if someone else can benefit from any of my suffering, then praise God.

    The more we read and study God’s word and spend time with Him, the more we can see things through that spiritual lens. And the more we talk to Him and trust Him, we will hear from Him. You can’t be out here running after the things of this world that are sinful and expect God to bless you. Don’t chase the devil and then expect a blessing from God. I can’t tell you what it is in your life that might be coming between you and God. I can only answer that for myself. And if you ask Him, I promise He will show you what that is! Work on that and then expect God to show up in your life. Not the other way around.

    Those of you that know me, know that I don’t have a lot of money. And when I talk about blessings, money is the last thing I’m thinking about. If God didn’t do anything else for me, he gave me the free gift of salvation through His son Jesus Christ!! But He has done so much more than that! I can think about things that didn’t feel much like blessings, and I could dwell on the negative, but what good does that do? Shift your mindset and realize that God has done more for you than you even realize! And even the things that we don’t think are blessings at the time, are actually God looking out for us then too.

    This might sting a little bit and I’m so sorry if it does – Even losing a loved one can be a blessing. No it doesn’t feel like it and it’s not what we want, but we also don’t know the bigger picture like God does. I know what it is to lose someone close to you. I don’t say that lightly at all. But we only see what we can see. Our perspective is very small compare to God’s. God sees a much bigger picture that includes the future. He knows what is best when he takes someone from this earth. He might be saving them from future suffering. We don’t know. We can only trust Him and his sovereignty.

    So y’all, all of that to say this – have faith so big that Satan can’t even make you doubt God. Be like Job. None of us want to suffer like Job did, of course! But, faith can move mountains! It doesn’t even take that much. Jesus said you only need faith the size of a mustard seed! But if you don’t have any faith right now for whatever reason, you can borrow some of mine. And talk to God about it. Ask Him to help you have more faith. He will do it!!

    ‘For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, ‘ Job 19:25-26

    ‘The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. ‘ Luke 17:5-6

    ~ Cheryl


  • A little leaven

    You want to know what I’ve been doing lately? Well I’m going to tell you! LOL Because I love to talk about it. If you don’t know me, when I get started on something new, I kind of tend to obsess about it a little bit. So my family is probably sick of hearing me talk about it so now I am going to tell you all about it. (It’s sourdough by the way!)

    The new year started out pretty crazy for us. We had a tragic death in the family. And then we got hit with a rare snow storm. Our neck of the woods rarely gets snow at all. We might get snow once every 10 years. And when we do, it doesn’t always last very long. So what did I decide to do right in the middle of all the craziness? And the freezing cold? Sourdough. I decided to make a sourdough starter!

    Now I have learned that this was the absolute worse time to try to make a sourdough starter. However, we did pull through. My sourdough starter, named Earl, took about 3 weeks (probably because of the cold) but he finally started making some bread. It’s really cool because you make the yeast yourself. You put some flour and water in a jar and you grow the yeast yourself for a few weeks by feeding and discarding every day. Once your starter is ready you can start baking with it by using a little bit of your natural (wild) yeast, bread flour, salt and water. There are many different ways to do it. And you can add inclusions and things like that. I haven’t gotten into all that too much yet. But I have made some good tasting bread. 🙂

    I was thinking recently about how sourdough relates to the Bible and Jesus. I found something that I loved. I knew there were verses about leaven in the bible. There is a parable that Jesus tells in Matthew 13:33. “He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” And in Galatians 5:9 it says “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” The word leaven is another word for yeast.

    What is neat about it is how the wild yeast created in your home environment can work itself into a loaf and make it rise. It only takes a little bit of the leaven or yeast but with a little bit of time and care (and patience) it spreads through out the dough and creates beautiful bread. Another thing about sourdough starter is that it takes maintenance. Once the starter is created it cannot just be left alone. It must be fed daily.

    Every day I have to discard some of the starter and feed it to make it grow and maintain it’s health. This reminds me of how we also need to discard and feed our minds and hearts. We have to discard the worldly stuff that we see and hear by praying and asking the Lord to remove those things from us. We have to feed our minds and hearts each day by reading God’s Word.

    A weak and acidic starter will make a bad loaf of bread. It might be edible, but it won’t be as good as it could be. A weak Christian will stumble in their faith and possibly cause others to stumble. You could even ruin your testimony if you don’t get yourself back on track.

    Yeast works slowly and silently, but the end result is undeniable. The same is true of how God works in our lives. The nature of yeast is to grow and change whatever it comes in contact with. When we accept Christ in our lives, He changes us from the inside out!

    I just thought that these comparisons were so neat and now I love sourdough even more!

    ~ Cheryl

  • Don’t Stop Praying!

    Last week we laid to rest my first cousin, Mike. He was the first of our first cousins to pass away. He and I weren’t really close but it is still a loss that you feel. The most heart breaking part is watching my precious Aunt at 84 years old saying goodbye to one of her children.

    I can’t imagine losing a child, no matter how old I am or they are. I hope I never have to know. But if I do, I hope that I can trust the Lord the way she is. Her words that she shared for my husband to read at the funeral were “Though it pains me to wonder, I have to trust that God had a reason for taking you. You will forever live in my heart, my son. Love, Mom“

    Mike lived a little rough. He liked to drink, cuss and pretty much do whatever he wanted. Not that he was a bad person. He just did things his way. His mom, my Aunt Carolyn never gave up though. She continuously talked to him about God and prayed for him.

    A few months before he passed away, Mike had begun to grow closer to God. He started asking his Mom questions about the Bible. I remember her calling me a couple months ago. She was so encouraged that he was talking to her about the Lord! Her prayers were being answered.

    This is encouraging to me. When we have someone that we are praying for. Someone that doesn’t seem to be living for the Lord. We can’t give up on them or stop praying for them. You never know the impact your prayers may have on someone.

    There’s a song by Matthew West called “Don’t Stop Praying” and there is so much truth to that song. Now when I see a hint of an answer to my prayers (especially those prayers for family members) I think of that song. You should listen to it if you haven’t heard it yet!

    I have seen so many prayers answered. A lot of prayers have been answered this year after many, many years of prayer. I want to name a few things, not to brag. But I want to let you know that these are things that I have been praying for, for a very long time. (The only bragging I’m doing is bragging on my Lord and Savior!) My weight loss, I’ve lost 60+ pounds in the past 15 months! My parents are back in church. My oldest brother is involved in his church and has found a good Christian woman that he just proposed to! Our finances are doing better and we are close to being debt free. These are all things that could not have happened without the Lord! God is so good and I could go on and on and on! I just want to share as a testimony. Don’t stop praying!

    Ephesians 6:18 “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,“

    Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the last of Christ.”

    Blessings,

    Cheryl