Fuel Up | Fuel For The Weekend

God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. I wanted to do it. I thought about it. I tried coming up with ideas on my own, but I just came up short, so I put the idea toward the back of my mind, but the Holy Spirit continued to nudge me in this direction. I am going for it and it's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.

The past two weeks I have been a spiritual battle with my finances. God warned me that I would by promising me, "This will be the last time you have to worry about money." I was so happy because I just got paid. I kind of laughed and said, "Okay, God, but... I'm not worried about money!" These last two weeks have been one trial after another, but more than that, one BLESSING after another! It was the hardest time I have faced yet but God saw us through and I believe today is our day of victory and breakthrough!

I was on my way home from work Tuesday. The Weather Channel was  filled with warnings and instructions for what to do in the face of Hurricane Zeta. I was on a phone call with my friend and we were praying and talking about how good God is and what He has been doing in our lives. It was bumper to bumper, worse traffic than usual. I didn't know what was going on but there were cars ahead as far as the eye could see and behind me as far as my vision allowed. I didn't get over 10 mph. Stuck on the bridge! We would creep and then crawl and then stop.... and repeat! I was not excited about being stuck on the bridge over the ocean. I glanced to my gauge and my heart nearly stopped! I had 12 miles left according to the reading on my dash. Amy and I prayed God would help me!

Not only was there not much gas in the tank and we were in a situation that did not show signs of improving, I was in the left lane and the shoulder was too narrow on that bridge for me to pull over. I couldn't get over to the right side if I tried! I knew it would not matter because I did not have any money for gasoline so no one could bring me gas anyway. I had to trust in God to get me home on very little gas.

We rounded the corner and it was several more minutes before I could see that the traffic stopped moving. The gauge read 11 miles of fuel left! I knew I had enough fuel to get to work that morning and back home that evening but it would not leave me much, but I hadn't counted on this happening. I prayed and called my kids. We prayed together and then I called Paul. My heart was in my throat and I wanted to have faith and not worry or fear but it was not looking good for me. I quickly told Paul what was going on and asked him to pray. He could tell I was concerned from the sound of my voice and he said he would pray. I immediately hung up and called my mom. The gas gauge dropped to 10 miles and we had barely moved at all! She quickly got off the phone so she could pray fervently!

All of a sudden it was like the flood gates were open and we were moving so quickly. I said, "God as an act of faith I am not looking at the gas gauge again. I trust You to get me home on these last 10 miles of gasoline." I did not look at the gauge again. Instead I thanked Him:
Thank You God for getting me off the bridge!

Thank You God for getting me through the tunnel!

Thank You God for getting me down this Interstate!

Thank You God for getting me to my exit!

Thank You God for getting me to DIP!

Thank You God for getting me through my last stop light!

Thank You God for all the green lights!

Thank You God for getting me on my road!

Thank You God for getting me to my driveway!

Thank You God for getting me home!

It took me over an hour to get home when I normally get home in less than 30 minutes. I looked at my gauge and this is what it said:

God is a miracle working God! I thank Him so much for all He has done. If you need something big and there is no way you can do it on your own, just ask Him and believe it! You will see the hand of God all over your life!

MARK 11:24 There I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Friends, we serve a BIG God and there is nothing too hard for Him. Ask Him to do something impossible and watch how amazing He does it!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Hurricane Zeta | Thankful Thursday

Welcome to my Thankful Thursday blog post! The LORD impressed on my heart to carve out a section on my blog to share what I am thankful for. I call this my Thankful Thursday blog posts. I will continue to share what I am thankful for each week, so be sure to come back to my blog and we can count our blessings together.

I have a lot to be thankful for today. My family and I survived Hurricane Zeta! God spared us from flooding and our home is intact. We lost power and as of the time of this writing it is still not restored. Edit: Power is restored! Thank You, Jesus! My husband’s windshield is cracked all the way across and my daughter’s car suffered a lot of damage. 

The house was so hot and even with the windows opened it didn’t cool off. We sleep with a fan and so I didn’t sleep much last night. I tried listening to the 45 mph winds and imagine myself at the ocean without a hurricane but it was too muggy for that to work. I prayed a lot and even though we had some roof damage, (I’m not sure the extent of all that), but it could have been so much worse. 

Today my prayers and thoughts are with those in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana who were deeply impacted by this devastating storm. I cannot imagine how the residents of NOLA are handling so many blows to their city. I pray for those displaced who lost homes and possessions and those injured. I am praying for those without power. I am praying for the workers who are doing all they can to get the power back on for millions of customers!

I am thankful for my job that I am able to work today. I am thankful for my vehicle and the gas to get to work. I’m thankful for God protecting our family and home through the night. I thank God the vehicles were not hurt worse than they are. I'm thankful for the men and women at the power companies who are working long hours and in dangerous conditions to restore power!

Please join me in prayer for the victims of Hurricane Zeta and pray for our nation to turn their hearts toward God.  Please join me in prayer for the residents of Citronelle!!! God do what you do best...the impossible!

EPHESIANS 3:20-21 Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow for an amazing testimony of God's faithfulness. God bless you!

Hugs,

Bridgett Owens

Two-Edged Sword | Bible Study

I am a writer. I have written a book and it would be a dream come true to get my book into the hands of millions of people in hopes that the things I shared in my first book will impact their life in a meaningful way. We all have read a book or story or news article and long after we set the periodical down, we are touched, changed, or impacted for good or bad. My favorite book to read and re-read does that. It has me laughing, crying, questioning, and ever-learning. It is the Holy Bible. This best-seller is a powerful book. It is the Holy Word of God and it impacts the reader every single time. Even if you disagree or don't fully understand it, you can never be the same after reading God's Word. This is how it is explained in Hebrews:

HEBREWS 4:12 For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

The scripture says it is quick which means alive! The Bible is definitely alive. It is an amazing book that has layer after layer of meaning and wisdom. It is timeless. It is not outdated, but is relevant regardless of the age in which it is read. It is full of life because it is authored by the Life-Giver: God! Those who pray for wisdom to understand the Scriptures, will be able to connect with the God of the Word and through Jesus His Son, have life-everlasting.

Hebrews says it is powerful! That is so accurate. It is full of power to change those who dare crack the cover and consume the content. It has the power to change lives, situations, events, and hearts. It can change your destination. The Bible tells us exactly how to change our ways to line up with God's expectation of us!

The Bible is sharp! The words in the Bible will cut you so deeply, that the writer of Hebrews said it is more sharp than any two-edged sword. The Bible is a divisive tool. It cuts going in and cuts going out. Merriam-Webster defines doubled-edged sword as "something that has or can have both favorable and unfavorable consequences." The Bible meets that definition to the letter!

The Bible is so precise that it divides the soul and spirit. The soul is different than the spirit. God dwells in our spirit. Our self, who we are, is in our soul. The spiritual sword will slice between who we are and who God says we are. It is so sharp it separates the bone and marrow. The marrow is inside the bone, so the thought of something capable of separating them tells us what God's Word will do. It divides the very deepest parts of who we are. It is so sharp and exact that it separates the very thoughts from the intentions of the heart. That's a powerful tool!

Why would God's Word divide soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and thoughts and intentions? The truth of God's Word penetrates our hearts and comes alive. It changes us and causes us to see when we are doing the things that pleases God and when we are not. It's the tool God uses to transform us into His image.

Last week I shared three free Bible study resources with you and this week I am sharing what it is we are actually studying. I am looking forward to next week's Bible study when we will once again dive into the Scriptures and break the bread together. I hope you have been encouraged to study God's Word and dig deeper into the mysteries of His Truth.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

A New Refrigerator | Fuel For The Weekend

God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. I wanted to do it. I thought about it. I tried coming up with ideas on my own, but I just came up short, so I put the idea toward the back of my mind, but the Holy Spirit continued to nudge me in this direction. I am going for it and it's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.

When God told us to move to Mobile, Alabama from Mitchell, Indiana I had no idea what His big plans for our family would be. We have been down here for over a year now and we have seen the hand of God every time we turned around. I want to share what God has done this time!

Recently our refrigerator died. We had to use our daughter’s mini fridge from college! We made do the best we could but we really needed a fridge. So my faithful prayer partner and I prayed for God to provide us a fridge! He showed up in a BIG way! We were given a brand new refrigerator and $100 gift card for groceries!!! We are so thankful!!!

What is a big need you have? What are you asking God for? Have you asked God to work it out for you? The Bible says that God cares about the things that matter to us. His Word tells us He will supply our every need according to HIS riches in glory by Christ Jesus. He does not consult our budget, our personal finances, or our situation in order to bless us. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and even the hills the cattle is standing on! Expect BIG things from God because if you have a real need, He is a real God that has a real solution to your real problem! Trust Him! There is NOTHING my God cannot do!

PSALMS 139:1-3 (1) O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me. (2) Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off. (3) Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

PHILIPPIANS 4:19 "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

ISAIAH 45:6 "That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I am the Lord, and there is none else."

PSALMS 50:10 "For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills."

LUKE 1:37 "For with God nothing shall be impossible."

I did not know how God was going to provide us a refrigerator. We didn't have the finances right now to do it, but we had a great need! We wanted a fridge but we actually needed a refrigerator, too. Not everything we want is something we truly need. But God will meet all your needs. He will give us the desires of our heart when we delight in Him, but He wants the glory in all He does.

Friends, do not be discouraged. Times are hard, things are different, and it does not always seem like everything is going to work out but for those who have put their faith in Jesus, we have hope and He has a great plan for our lives. Look to God for your help and He will never let you down!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

 

 

 

 

 

I'm Thankful | Thankful Thursday

Welcome to my Thankful Thursday blog post! The LORD impressed on my heart to carve out a section on my blog to share what I am thankful for. I call this my Thankful Thursday blog posts. I will continue to share what I am thankful for each week, so be sure to come back to my blog and we can count our blessings together.

I have so much to thank God for! He has been so good to me, I cannot tell it all! He has healed my body, clothed me in my right mind, saved me, sanctified me, and redeemed me with the blood of Jesus. There is no mountain He has not moved for me, nor taught me to climb. I have never been the same since I made Him the LORD of my life and I am so glad that He never gave up on me. He kept pursuing me and loving me and forgiving me. He is a great God! If the world could only know Him like I know Him there would be no one going to hell! His love is too sweet, His promises too precious, His blessings too good, His faithfulness too amazing to walk away from. I want to get closer to Him every single moment.

Friends, this year is almost over. We are heading out of October as quickly as we entered it and I have a feeling the rest of the year is going to follow suit. I want to encourage you all today that God is still good. There are lots of bad things in this world. Evil is present and at work in the lives of many, but we have a God that never slumbers nor sleeps and He is in control. He is not shaken or afraid. He is not pleased with the way man has disregarded Him and done as they pleased, but He is not thrown off guard. He is working all things for our good if we love Him and are called according to His purpose. Isn't that a reason to smile? No weapon formed against us will prosper.

My friend, Amy, is my faithful prayer partner. We are several states apart and more miles than I care to count, but we have a daily prayer connection and we have a great time! God is so good and so busy in our lives and we choose to look for His handiwork in everything and we always find it! I challenge you to do the same thing.

If you look for fearful things, bad news, negative reports, gloom and doom, you will surely find it. There is no shortage of that stuff in the world today. It will make you sick in mind, body, and spirit if you dwell on that stuff. If you look for the peaceful things, good news, positive reports, hope and truth, you will surely find it. There is no shortage of that stuff in the world today. It will heal your mind, body, and spirit if you dwell on that stuff. The choice is yours. What will you think about? 

I want to share a few scriptures in closing. Please look these scriptures up and search out the meaning. Ask God to show you with fresh eyes what He wants you to know about these familiar passages. Let's not be hearers of the Word only, but let's be doers of the Word. Let's impact the world around us for good and for God's glory.

PSALMS 121:3-4 (3)He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber. (4)Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

ROMANS 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. 

 ISAIAH 54:17 "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the LORD.

 PHILIPPIANS 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

I am thankful for the opportunity to share my faith on my blog. I hope that you will choose an attitude of gratitude as well. It's been said that attitudes are contagious, let's make sure ours are worth catching! Have a great day and I'll see you tomorrow as we get Fuel For The Weekend.

God bless you,
Bridgett Owens 

Three Free Resources | Bible Study

Every week on Wednesdays, it is my hope to bring you a Bible study. Today I want to talk about how to study the Bible. There are many different ways to study the Bible; countless devotions, books, and resources available for those who desire to learn more. Today, I want to share a few of my favorite free Bible study resources. No matter how you study the Bible the most important thing is that you study God's Word deeply and often. 

One of my favorite ways to study the Bible on my phone is with an app called YouVersion. This valuable tool is very convenient to study Scriptures anywhere. Some of the features I like about this app are the ability to do studies alone or with friends regardless of where they are as long as they have the app, too. I enjoy the ability to highlight favorite scriptures in any color I choose. There is a myriad of topical studies to choose from. The keyword search feature helps when you don't know exactly where in the Bible a verse or passage is located. I am a KJV girl but it is nice to have the verse comparison tool to read the same verse in multiple translations. Another cool feature on this app is the badges. It's fun to see a reward for reading the Word and doing Bible study plans throughout the year. I really enjoy the ability to create an image with the verse of the day. It can be saved or shared on social media and with family and friends. I especially enjoy listening to the Bible be read to me while I am working or driving and cannot read the text for myself. For several years now I have read the Bible through in a year and this app has given me a variety of plans to do that.

Bible Gateway is another fantastic free resource. You can quickly look up verses with key words. The commentary section is excellent and they also feature translation comparisons for verses and passages. There are reading plans, devotionals, keyword searches, and audio Bible features, too. I have used this resource a lot and refer to it often when preparing lesson plans for my students. It is a resource I highly recommend for those wanting to explore God's Word in an in-depth way.

Our Daily Bread is the third and final free resource I will talk about today. I have been reading through their small and compact devotional booklets for decades. Each booklet has three months worth of devotions and prayers with prompts for extra reading if you want to study further. These are great for those pressed for time or new to studying the Word. The website has free articles, videos, and you can even join their email list to get free uplifting content. You can donate to this ministry and it is an excellent one to sow into. Their mission statement is "To make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all."

No one is paying me to say anything about these resources. These are by no means the only resources available. I enjoy using these when I want to look something up, dig further on a specific topic, or read what others have said in their commentaries. Whether you use one of these, all of these or none of these; the important thing is to daily break the bread of God's Word. It's vital to study the Bible for yourself because even pastors who study at great length can misquote a verse. I have sat under anointed men and women of God and heard some big blunders that I would not have caught if I was expecting to be spoon-fed the Word of God every Sunday morning. It's important to know the truth for ourselves and the only real way to do that is to study it for ourselves.

JOSHUA 1:8    "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

2 TIMOTHY 2:15    "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Friends, no matter what version of the Bible you read, or where you are in your faith journey, keep studying it. You grow closer to God, know His expectations of you, understand His character, know His Will for your life, and the more you read and learn, the sharper your spiritual sword will be to fight off the enemy! God bless you!!

Hugs,

Bridgett

 

 

Car Wash | Fuel For The Weekend

God  told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. I wanted to do it. I thought about it. I tried coming up with ideas on my own, but I just came up short, so I put the idea toward the back of my mind, but the Holy Spirit continued to nudge me in this direction. I am going for it and it's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.

When I was growing up we washed our cars by hand in the yard with a bucket of soapy water and a garden hose. We took our time to shine it up and I remember my mom and dad waxing our vehicles. I still think there is no better way to make a car shine like hand washing.

Now car washes are everywhere it seems. The first time I drove through a car wash felt so strange and a little scary. My kids did not like the car wash. I would let them unbuckle from their booster seats and sit with me in the front as we talked about the strange sounds and pretty colors surrounding us. I taught my children that the car was taking a bath and that comforted them.

Today my 13 year old son and I went through the car wash. It was fascinating to see the colors and it was still kind of scary. This car wash is a little different than others I have been through and I was not sure I was doing the right thing. The attendant was helpful and pleasant, pointing to signs that fully explained each step of the process. It had been a long time since Ivory, as I like to call my Lexus SUV, had been given a good cleaning!

Javan and I swept the floorboards and removed any trash we saw. We got a lot of sand swept up from the last time we went to the beach. As we were moving around the vehicle, Javan noticed the front bumper was still dirty with dead bugs stuck to it. I looked at the back bumper and it had some stuck on debris as well. I did not feel like I got much of a cleaning for the value. So I went around again. The energetic young attendant came over and kindly informed me that he would set me up with another car wash but that it is common for bugs and things to stick on and that it would need a little scrubbing with a soft brush to get them all. He recommended I wash the car every day and since I have the car wash club membership I agreed. And that is when I knew what I would write for this blog post!

Sometimes our Christian journey is like going through the car wash. We want to line ourselves up just right with the Word of God. We want to read the instructions, aka the Bible, and make sure we do exactly what it says, and then we enter a place of cleansing. God starts working on our hearts, attitudes, and thoughts.

Psalm 51:2 "Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin."

This can be our prayer too. Lord wash me thoroughly from my sins and cleanse me from the wrong I have done. He will do it! 

Sometimes we find that we need to go back in the car wash. Maybe some of the stubborn pride or negative thinking refuses to lose its grip on our life. We can pray again. Do you know there's an example of this in the Bible?

Mark 8:22-25 (22)And He cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto Him, and besought Him to touch him. (23)And He took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when He had spit on his eyes, and put His hands upon him, He asked him if he saw ought. (24) And he looked up, and said, "I see men as trees, walking." (25)After that He put His hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

Jesus is the great healer and if we rush through this story we can read that Jesus healed a blind man, but we are missing some key points if we do not slow down and examine this passage carefully.

Jesus was in Bethsaida and there was a blind man that was hoping Jesus would heal him. He was hoping that Jesus would help him regain sight. Jesus takes the blind man by the hand and leads him out of town. What is going through the man's mind? It might feel a little scary. Remember how I felt when I entered the car wash for the first time? It was something I wanted to do, something I hoped would give me a clean car in the end, but I had to experience something I never had before. This man is trusting Jesus. He might be wondering where Jesus is taking him. He might not recognize the path they are taking and it may feel like it's never going to happen. It doesn't say Jesus told him anything about where he was taking him. Jesus was removing him from the audience. He was taken away from the crowds of people waiting for a show, the big miracle of another blind man being healed by Jesus. Instead of allowing spectators to wait and see what would happen, Jesus got alone with the man who had faith. Faith always moves Jesus, never curious onlookers.

We are talking about Jesus, the very Son of God, who can heal anyone anywhere with a simple command. Jesus spits on the man's eyes. I don't know what the blind man thought about that. It would seem a strange way to heal someone. It might feel like it was an unkind thing to do. It might have caused the blind man to doubt Jesus was going to heal him, but the Bible does not say the man's faith was shaken.

Now the man feels the pressure of the Messiah's hands upon his eyes. He must have been so excited that his miracle had finally come. When Jesus asks the man if he can see anything, the man opened his eyes and maybe he blinked a time or two. He could see! He said he could see men as trees walking. That could have been it. Jesus could have left the man like that. He could see after all. But, Jesus wants us to see something important here. When we pray and an answer comes, if it is not exactly what we asked God for, we can pray again! We don't have to give up or settle for something that is not exactly what we wanted. 

Jesus did not fail the blind man. This was another example of how to seek answers from the Lord. Jesus put His hands on the man's eyes again and made the man look up and he was restored and saw every man clearly. When we cry out to God and we need a miracle, don't give up or settle for less. Ask again. God will do it! He made the man look up. Sometimes after we have been touched by Jesus again, we just need to lift up our eyes to Him. Look up! Your redemption draweth nigh!! Look up because the blessing is on the way! Don't keep your eyes closed tightly in fear and anxiety. Look up and and be restored!

This weekend, or whenever you happen to read this, be encouraged about the things God is doing in your life. If you are in a good place, but maybe not a great place, allow the healing hands of the Savior to touch you, lift up your eyes to the Lord and be restored! Great things are coming! I have seen the hand of God all over my life lately and especially this month! What a blessing it is to serve the risen King! He wants us to ask and then ask again if we need to. Do not let your faith be shaken. If He wants to lead you by the hand out of the way of nosy busybodies, let Him. Allow Him to isolate you if that is what it takes to get your miracle.

God has an awesome plan for your life. It is exciting and wonderful and colorful and productive. Do not get scared of the unknown. Don't be afraid to stand under the spigot and and get washed by the water again! Jesus is the Living Water and He will cleanse us from our sins and restore us. What big things are you asking God for? Do you have the faith to try again? Keep pressing on and you will find you will see things clearly, too.

God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens

Pop Tarts and Toasters | Thankful Thursday

 Welcome to my Thankful Thursday blog post! The LORD impressed on my heart to carve out a section on my blog to share what I am thankful for. I call this my Thankful Thursday blog posts. I will continue to share what I am thankful for each week, so be sure to come back to my blog and we can count our blessings together.

I wanted something sweet. I had a small savory meal but wasn't quite full and thought a sweet treat would be in order. I am battling a sinus congestion/head cold situation and so I opened the pantry in search of something light and pleasant to the taste. I saw the box of strawberry Pop-Tarts. I glanced over and saw no one had bothered to put the toaster up from using it last, so I placed the two pastries in the slots of the toaster and waited. It didn't take long for the heat of the toaster to soften the delicate rectangles and then it happened...

The pop of the toaster alerted me that it was time to remove these dear frosted goodies from the jaws of the toaster. The right slot released the Pop-Tart with ease. The left was not ready to let go. I looked inside and saw that the Pop-Tart had slipped outside the protective "clamps" of the toaster and it was stuck! I quickly unplugged the toaster and grabbed a fork to help me finagle the sugary, gooey, pastry loose. It was not budging. I tore part of the top. I shook the toaster, and urged the Pop-Tart to come out, cheering it out, "Come on!" It sunk further. What could I do?

I picked the toaster up in both hands, shook the toaster, held it upside down, and with the help of the fork tines, eased the pastry onto my paper towel. It looked terrible. Next to the perfect Pop-Tart it was torn, beaten up, and broken. I looked at the poor thing and all I could see was the strawberry gel tempting me to gobble it up. I did not care that my bedtime snack was not Pin-worthy. I did not mind that it was torn up and in pieces. That pastry was for me to sink my teeth into and enjoy. I savored it and then I thought about how much life is like that whole situation.

We get in our lane and we are busy doing our own thing. The heat of the trials of life are lighting a fire inside us and we can be sweeter than before we were pressed so hard. The metal clamps of the slot can tighten around us but it just secures us so we can fully take the heat and pressure without collapsing. Sometimes we are like the pastry on the right. We come out unscathed and even admired but some. Other times we are like the pastry on the left, we collapse and get broken, but we can still be used for a great purpose.

Lately I have felt like the pastry that slipped between the wall of the toaster and the center holding section. I feel like I have been poked and prodded and nudged. Sometimes I hear a friend or family member cheering me on. Sometimes I feel like my world is shaking or even upside down. Do you know what the good news is? When I finally slink out of the hot toaster slot of life, I am still valuable. I still have a purpose. I can still do what I was created to do and the heat maybe made me a little sweeter.

After suffering the loss of my father in 2013 I could have quit nursing school. He passed away during my Christmas break. I did not want to go back to nursing school. It was literally all that I could do with God's help to go back. I had several patients who were about my dad's age; those men had colon cancer just like my dad. As I held their hand to redirect them from pulling out N-G tubes, spoke softly as not to startle them waking from anesthesia, and offered a smile of hope they were not alone it felt like I was more compassionate than before losing Dad. It was bittersweet.

Sometimes life is great and we feel like we are on top of the world. Have you had some times this year where it just felt like you were riding the wave and everything looked great? I know God has given me some of those moments recently. This week has not felt like that. It felt more like the big wipe-out in front of a crowd of people, left me feeling disappointed and mangled like the Pop-Tart. But I know God looks down into my circumstances like I looked into that toaster. He sees the stuff on the inside of me that He put there and He works hard to get me out as best as I can. When I am bruised and broken, He shines His light inside me and reminds me that I can still burn bright for Him.

1 Peter 4:12-13 (12)Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: (13)But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

 Romans 8:35-39 (35)Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36)As it is written, For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (37)Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. (38)For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39)Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That is great news! We shouldn't think it is strange when we go through problems or difficulties in life. If we end up like the Pop-Tart on the left, don't think it is something awful and dreadful that you will never bounce back from. You are a child of the Most High God! He is in your corner. He may have to get some creative devices to help you out of the space you get stuck in, but even if He has to move mountains to get you free He will do it! Nothing we go through, no setback, delay, or disaster is going to keep us from God's love. We are in the palm of His hand and He loves us. This Thursday I am thankful for strawberry Pop-Tarts, toasters, electricity, paper towels, forks, my Bible, and for the God who never gives up on His children! Because I am a hot mess most of the time!

I hope you will leave me a comment below and tell me what you are thankful for today! I am always grateful for the friends God sends to my blog each time I post!

Hugs,

Bridgett

Work In Progress Wednesday | Bible Study

I enjoy knitting. I have been a knitter for nearly two decades. I have made dish cloths, coasters, teddy bears for kids in foster care, hats for a homeless shelter, hat and booty sets for newborns in the hospital nursery, prayer shawls, blankets, and a variety of other small projects. No matter how quickly I could knit something, it seemed there was never enough time to complete it in one sitting. This led to many WIP's or Works In Progress. Often we would share in our knitting circles what WIP's we had and what we hoped to finish. I thought this would make a great Bible study topic, because we are all Works In Progress.

There are no perfect people. I attend a church that has a message in bold letters on the side of the building NO PERFECT PEOPLE ALLOWED. It made me think. In a world where competition is fierce, perfectionism prevalent, and comparison is more like a hobby, we fight the urge to not lose heart if we don't measure up to the world's standard. The good news for Christ followers is that the Bible underlines the message that there are no perfect people that ever lived. Jesus was the only perfect person that lived. The rest of us can find our place in Romans 3:23.

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

When I was younger I was fascinated by pottery. The messy work of water and clay on a spinning wheel produced something beautiful and useful. It gripped my heart as a young adult and I listened to my dad minister about how we are all clay in the Potter's hand. We are placed on His wheel and with His skill and vision for what we could be, He molds us and smooths out the rough edges. We are all on the Potter's Wheel Jeremiah talked about.

Jeremiah 18:1-6   (1) The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, (2) Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear My words. (3) Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. (4) And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. (5) Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, (6) O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in Mine hand, O house of Israel.

The idea that we are being shaped into the image of God, created into the men and women He wants us to be, gives me hope and joy. Our future is in His hands. He has the plans, the dreams, the vision for us. He knows if we will need to be a vessel to hold flowers, or a sturdy cup to hold the pen of a writer. Maybe some of us will hold the refreshing water for a parched soul. We all have unique abilities and skills based on the manner in which He creates us.

My knitting WIP's often would be picked up in my spare time, worked on here and there, and eventually I could slip the finished piece off the needles, carefully inspect my work, and admire what I had created. The potter will eventually stop the wheel from spinning, the clay worked as much as could be, and the vessel ready for the finishing touches. What about us? We are all God's workmanship. We are all being fashioned and formed with every test, every trial, every disappointment, every hardship, and every pain. The joys transform us, too. When will we be complete?

Philippians 1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"

The good news is we never arrive; we never become complete and perfect without flaws. We are always being changed. I used to sing a song when I was growing up called "He's Still Working On Me." What a powerful song to instill in the hearts of young children that God is working on us. We have the mirror of His word to reflect on. We have a lot of growing and developing character and integrity to do. God is doing the work inside us as we allow Him to.

Let's give each other mercy and grace as we do life together. No one is perfect and that is okay. We all have something good to give to the world, and we can offer each other hope and love. One day when we get ready to be with the Lord forever, we will be perfected. The work will be complete. The hands of God will rest as He looks with joy at the masterpiece He has made. What a day that will be!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens 

 

 

 

 

The Time is Now | Fuel For the Weekend

God  told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. I wanted to do it. I thought about it. I tried coming up with ideas on my own, but I just came up short, so I put the idea toward the back of my mind, but the Holy Spirit continued to nudge me in this direction. I am going for it and it's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.

Can you remember any of your goals that you set in January this year? I struggle to think back 9 months ago or even 8 months ago in February. Corona Virus has made the past 7 months feel like decades.

The good news is God was not sideswiped by Covid-19. He was not caught off guard or shaken. His plans are still moving forward. He still has an eternal purpose to fulfill through you and me. What is He doing right now in our community, our workplace, our homes, and inside our hearts? Can we align our goals and dreams to mirror His plan for us?

Today I am picking up things I set aside until “the right time.” I am pushing past procrastination to write this simple message of hope to you and as a reminder to myself that God is still working and we must get busy, too.

So many things are out of our control, but how we choose to respond to God’s call on our lives is something we can control. We can allow our circumstances to tie our hands and feet and keep us stuck in despair, or we can look to God the author and finisher of our faith to sustain us as we lean into Him and work where we can while we can. 

Hebrews 12:2

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

This verse in Hebrews reminds us that Jesus endured the cross for us. We may feel life is spinning out of control and get depressed about the restrictions pressed on us, but even the tough times we face are nothing compared to the torture and cruelty of the cross Jesus endured. This verse says we are to look to Jesus who starts and finishes our faith. He looked at the joy on the other side of the cross and was able to face the darkness head on. He despised the shame. It was nothing He wanted to do. He was obedient to His death and now He is at the right hand of the throne of God. He is exalted in heavenly places.

We can get through this year stronger than when we started. We can meet and exceed our goals from the beginning of the year. We can face every situation, every trial, every disappointment with purpose and grace as we remember why we are here. We must glorify our Father in heaven while we are on the earth. We need to pick up those things we sat aside until "later." Now is the time to work. We have a lot to do before Jesus comes back and there are still a few more days left in this month, and a couple more months left in this year.

Get your joy back! Saturate your spirit in the good news of God's Word. Tell someone about the goodness of God and what He is doing in your life, your job, your finances, your marriage, your parenting, and your church. If there is an area of your life you are not seeing good fruit, ask God to help you grow. He will do it! He is in control and He is doing great things! The Bible tells us He never slumbers or sleeps. He is fully engaged with the matters of our hearts and He knows what is happening around the globe. Take heart and be of good cheer. Jesus overcame the whole world and He daily loads us with benefits according to Psalms 68:19.

Be encouraged brothers and sisters. Jesus is coming back very soon to get His Bride. I want to be looking for Him, working for Him, and expecting His return. Don't miss heaven for the world. You have time now to work, let's be busy working for our Father.

God bless you,

Bridgett