Psalm 31 | Thankful Thursday

I love reading Psalm 31. If you are ever going through trials and storms of life, it is a great passage to read for comfort and encouragement. If you are struggling with grief and loss and pain, or you have people lying about you and treating you bad, read this chapter. It is full of prayer and thanksgiving. I will share a few verses here.

Psalm 31:19-24

Oh how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men!

Thou shalt hide them in the secret of Thy presence from the pride of man: Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

Blessed be the LORD: for He hath shewed me His marvellous kindness in a strong city.

For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before Thine eyes: nevertheless Thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto Thee.

O love the LORD, all ye His saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

I hope you take courage in the LORD today. I pray that you find strength in the everlasting arms of God. Keep hoping in Him. Trust Him and watch Him work in your life to bring good things to pass. You are blessed and loved and redeemed by Jesus Christ if you are saved and that is worth giving thanks for!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Show Up Anyway | Fuel For The Weekend

Each Friday God wants me to share my faith in such a way that it causes you to think, ponder, consider, and reflect on all weekend long. My desire is that each Fuel For The Weekend post is so thought-provoking that you begin a dialogue with your family and friends and discuss the ideas further. I may never know on this side of heaven if I am making a difference in anyone else's lives, but these blog posts strengthen me, stretch me, and encourage me to keep going in this race.

A friend asked me to do something for them recently. At first, I hesitated. I have not been feeling the best and did not want to do it, but I did not say no. I thought about it and was just not sure how to politely decline. I did not have any good reason not to do what was asked of me. So, I finally said I would do it. I was fasting at the time and that really takes a lot out of me physically. It is really draining and I already was not feeling well. I knew agreeing to do what was asked of me would be a good thing to do, but I did not fully understand the impact I would make.

I was able to minister to my friend, share about something deeply personal, and watch as tears filled their eyes. They found hope again and a different perspective than they had before. Sometimes it helps when someone who has walked in your shoes before gives you a glimpse of how your story could end.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:1-7 (1)Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: (2)Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (3)Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; (4)Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. (5)For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. (6)And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. (7)And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

Paul, Javan, and I went out to look at some land. We thought it might be a good option for us and we were full of hope and excitement. We saw the property and it was nothing like we saw in the photos online. It was a disaster and even though our hopes were dashed for that particular property, we knew it was a definite "No" from God. That is encouraging because we got our answer immediately. We continue to believe there is something coming for us very soon. Until God answers, we will keep trusting and hoping.

PSALM 31:24 Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

PSALM 71:5 For Thou art my hope, O LORD God, Thou art my trust from my youth.

What do you plan to do this weekend? Who do you hope to bless? Whose situation can you speak life into? What encouragement can you give? Have you asked God to make plans for you this weekend? It is Mother's Day weekend. Some have lost their mothers, others are estranged, and some have toxic relationships with their mother. Not everyone has a Hallmark experience and I understand that. I hope that you will celebrate this weekend, thankful for a good mother, or a good mother figure, in your life. Was there a neighbor, friend, grandparent, or elder at your church you looked up to? If you are a mother, I want to wish you a very happy Mother's Day. Some have wayward sons and daughters. This Sunday may be hard for a lot of mothers who mourn their children in one way or another. I pray that God allows you to feel honored and loved like you deserve. Remember Jesus loves you so much. He will be your anchor, strength, refuge, Mighty Fortress to run to when times are overwhelming and hard. Don't miss the chance to bless someone else this weekend. You never know when your words can speak life into a dead situation and cause someone to hold a little tighter to God's unchanging hand.

EPHESIANS 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Extra! Extra! Read All About It! | Thankful Thursday

These are some of the TOP HEADLINES today on ESPN: 

• Sources: NYC mandate to be rolled back Thu.
• Masvidal booked on battery, mischief charges
• Sources: U.S. snowboard accused of interference

From USA TODAY some news stories include:

• US to accept 100,000 Ukraine refugees; Zelenskyy calls for worldwide peace rally at NATO summit: Live Ukraine updates
• Russian elites, Duma: Updates
• 'Awful senseless mess': Russian journalist killed while filming in Kyiv
• Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State, dies at 84
• Citing neglect, Florida increasingly removes kids from poor families
• Hospitals needed help in COVID crisis. Trump and Biden fell short.
• Latino college students dropped out at highest rates during pandemic
• North Korea test-fired suspected intercontinental ballistic missile, Japan says
• 6 students killed in crash were in car that seats 4, officials say
• See damage after tornadoes hit New Orleans area

The News. This is where we are expected to get our information from. Those who absorb the news think they are well-informed. I get my news from another source: the Bible. It is God's Holy Word. It is anointed and powerful on it's own. I do not need to add to it or take anything away. I am not telling you to never watch the news, but I am also not telling you to watch the news and soak in every word that is spoken. Unfortunately, much of the news we see is propaganda and many times it is false information. Hebrews 4:12 says this about the Bible, 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. That is quite impressive! One book, the Holy Bible, written Word of God is alive and active. It is divisive, slicing between things others cannot separate. It distinguishes between what we think and the motives of our hearts.

Today on this Thankful Thursday, I am excited about the future. I am looking forward to the time that will come to pass that we can read about in Micah chapter four. Let's read this GOOD NEWS together.

MICAH 4:1-5 (1)But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. (2)And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (3)And He shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn of war any more. (4)But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it. (5)For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of our God for ever and ever.

I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to times of peace and not of war; times of joy and not sorrow; times of healing and not pain. I do not want to bury another loved one. I do not want to part with another friend. I am ready for God to rule and reign forever and ever. He is the Holy One and the Righteous Judge who sits on the throne forever more.

Think of what a wonderful transition that will be: from a life of hardships, sorrow, loss, suffering, and lack to one day living at peace and in harmony. It reminds me of the promise we have in Revelation. That particular passage brings me such comfort and strengthens my faith and hope that one day it will be like the Word of God says.

REVELATION 21:1-7 (1)And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (2)And I John saw the Holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (3)And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. (4)And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and there shall be no more death, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (5)And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new, And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (6)And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. (7)He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.

These are the news headlines over my day today. I am choosing to meditate on the Word of God and what He has promised for His children. It is okay to know what is going on in our world, but look at everything through the lens of scripture and do not be deceived. Soon this old world will pass away. We will be facing eternity sometime and there are only two options: You prepared for it and are ready; or you put it off and chose not to believe, and you are not going to inherit the promise of Revelation 21:7. The choice really is ours. What will you do?

I hope you will count your blessings along with me on this Thankful Thursday and enjoy the GOOD NEWS headlines I have discovered among the pages of God's Word. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

7 Biblical Reasons To Be Thankful | Thankful Thursday

Has life been beating you up lately? Do you feel like you can't really catch a break? I understand how that feels. I get it! Life is hard sometimes. Sometimes it may feel like there are more problems than solutions and more hardships than good times. In these dry seasons it can be hard to count your blessings. After all, we have to really search for the good sometimes. When we lose a loved one, our job ends, the loan does not go through, or our spouse walks out on us, it can be really difficult to find something to be thankful for.

Research has shown that feeling thankful has positive effects on our health: both mental and physical. It can also improve our spiritual health. Choosing to focus on the positive things is not just about looking at the good in our life. When my dad died I did not immediately feel grateful that he was no longer with me. I did look back on the last couple of years of my dad's life and see God's hands all over it. I remembered the miracles and the relief, the breakthroughs that seemed to indicate Dad would not die. I thought about how I was grateful I had those days and months and two full years to spend with him and cherish those last moments together. My sister's birth father was tragically ripped from her life when a drunk driver hit and killed him. It was not easier to watch our dad slip away but there is a big blessing in the gift of that process.

When financial hard times come, it is not the first thing on our minds to write a list of things we are grateful for. We often begin to brainstorm ideas for how to find the ends in an effort to make them meet. We want solutions and when we are faced with a pile of bills and unmet needs, it can be so discouraging and painful. It is in those times that gratitude is so important. Holding on to God's faithfulness in the past, and any glimpses of God's goodness in the here and now only serve to strengthen our faith and reignite our hope that this too shall pass and we will be stronger for it.

Abandonment and rejection leave us feeling vulnerable and scared. Instead of choosing to see the bright side, it is far easier to see the negative effects. Divorce is unfortunately all too common, but the stigma is still there. The brokenness is still there. The unanswered questions of why this happened and how it could have been prevented leave us feeling isolated and alone. If we can somehow choose to see past that to what good there is left, it can help us not sink into despair and depression. There is hope!

How do we know an attitude of gratitude is powerful enough to plunge us out of the darkness back into a few rays of sunshine? We can look at research of course. We can read the studies of thousands of people who were observed and we can see how things changed in their lives. But, is that really helpful to us in the throws of life's lowest valleys? I don't know about you, but when it felt like I was in the pits I did not really care to read about how someone else turned things around by being thankful. I wanted to know what could help me?

The Bible has always been the one source of hope and strength for me. When others shared the Gospel with me it always encouraged me. It never failed to lift me up, if even for a moment. The more I would read the Word of God, the more I would begin to trust God. I learned of His character and His way of thinking. I saw Him as a source of strength and a refuge to hide in. I realized His love would carry me through the darkest of midnights. I did not have to feel forsaken. So, what does the Bible say about being thankful?

1. It is God's Will for us to be thankful. We read in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." That does not mean to thank God for the divorce, or the death, or the financial hardship, but thank Him that He never abandoned you, He is victorious over death, and He will supply all your needs. This is His will for you because when you look for the good you will find it. When you choose to focus on the reasons you are blessed, you will find more reasons. What you continue to dwell on will get down on the inside of you and it will begin to flourish and grow and it will elevate you out of the dungeon.

2. It is to remember God's holiness. We read in Psalm 30:4 "Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness." When we start shifting our eyes from our problems onto the Solution, Christ Jesus, we start remembering His holiness. We remember His goodness. We remember He has never failed us. We remember He has always done nothing but good for us. It shifts the mindset to stop dwelling on the problem and the negative parts of the puzzle. We begin to get our courage back. We stop feeling fear. We begin to believe again. Our hearts start to mend.

3. It is a good thing. We read in Psalm 92:1-3 "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High: To shew forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound." The Bible tells us it is a good thing to give thanks. When we begin to sing praises to God we stop feeling sadness. We no longer feel anxiety, worry, fear, doubt, or defeat. We begin to sing praises to God and something good starts to spring forth on the inside of us. We begin to feel that wellspring of life bubbling over. We feel joy take over and nothing can take it away when we have our mind completely on the goodness of God, day or night.

4. It gives us something to share with others. We read in Psalm 105:1 "O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon His name: make known His deeds among the people." The great things God has done for us is not just for our pleasure. It is not just for our enjoyment; but rather to be shared with others who are hurting. We may see others who are mourning, or discouraged, or feeling abandoned, and when we begin to share what God has done for us it edifies us both. We both gain strength from that. We both increase in faith when we hear an actual account of what God has done in times of great distress and pain. When we see His hand upon others and they tell us what God has done in their lives, it gives us hope that He will do the same thing for us.

5. It enables us to live in His presence. We read in Psalm 140:13 "Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto Thy name: the upright shall dwell in Thy presence." When we meditate on the things God has done for us, it causes us to temporarily leave our current situation and we are fully in His presence. When we recall the times God fed us when we had no money and no food, we begin to feel the oil of gladness fill our souls. As we remember the times the money came out of nowhere just before we lost everything, it will spark hope in our hearts that He will come through again. And as we begin to bask in the love of God and all the many times He came through for us, it changes the chemicals in our bodies. Endorphins, a feel-good hormone, begins to be released throughout our bodies. We begin to feel more joy than stress, more peace than chaos, more love than rejection and our whole countenance lights up. Friends, we can choose to live that way.

6. It brings us victory. We read in 1 Corinthians 15:57 "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." We get our hopes up when we remember the times He came through before and when we are filled with faith and not doubt, God begins to work on our behalf. He begins to rearrange some things. He begins to change our circumstances. We begin to have victory over what once held us bound. That is worth praising God for. That is worth thanking Him for. We are victorious when we keep our eye on the prize and not get distracted by the tricks of the enemy.

7. It is what we will do in eternity. We read in Revelation 11:16-17 "And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give Thee thanks, O LORD GOD Almighty, Which art, and was, and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned." When we come to eternity we will thank Him for what He did for us. We will be so thankful to have overcome every trial, every tribulation, every hardship, every battle that we faced. We will praise Him because He reigns. We will bow before Him like the 24 elders and we will proclaim that He is King and He is LORD and He is God. We will worship Him. He deserves it. He is worthy. It is His! Praise and thankfulness belong to God. We owe it to Him to tell Him how much we appreciate Him; how wonderful He is to us; and how much He means to us.

Friends, we have more than seven reasons to be thankful to God. Count your blessings today and every single day. Do not worry about the worries of this life, the problems and health concerns that arise. We have hope in Jesus Christ who promises us eternal life. We may not have it easy in this life, and bad things will continue to happen to us from time to time, but we have to remember Jesus Christ is King. He is worth every word of praise and adoration; every thankful and grateful sentiment; every appreciative statement we can think of to let Him know how much He means to us.

I am so thankful for Jesus loving me and never giving up on me. I have so much to praise God for. May you be found today with praise on your lips to King Jesus for all that He has done and is doing and will do in your life! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

 

Psalm 7 | Bible Study Wednesday

Welcome back to another Wednesday Bible Study. We are moving through the book of Psalms this year and today we turn our attention to the book of Psalms, chapter seven. This is a Shiggaion of David. According to BibleStudyTools.com, using Easton's Bible Dictionary, shiggaion is, "The word denotes a lyrical poem composed under strong mental emotion; a song of impassioned imagination accompanied with suitable music; a dithyrambic ode." David composes this particular song under great distress and persecution. If you have not done so, please take a few minutes to read this chapter. It is only 17 verses. We will break down what is being said here and hopefully you will continue the study on your own to cross-reference verses or perhaps do word-mapping.

Verses 1-2 David has been cursed at, rocks flung at him, and ridiculed by a man from the tribe of Benjamin in 2 Samuel chapter 16. This was a time when his son was trying to take the throne away from him. He was in a lot of mental distress and he knew the One he could go to was God. He knew that God always helped him. David knew that even if God did not change David's circumstances, he would still feel better, comforted, and encouraged after going to God in prayer.

Here in the opening two verses, David proclaims he has full confidence and trust in what God can do. He remembers the lions that would like nothing more than to tear the flesh off the sheep he used to tend. He feels like one of the sheep and his enemies are the lions.

Verses 3-5 David is asking God to search him for sin. He asks God to allow his enemies to trample him into the dust if he has done wrong. If he has paid evil back to men that were at peace with him, and he even reminds God that he has shown mercy to those who hated him without a reason. This is David showing God that he wants to be found pleasing in His sight. He wants to be clean before God, but he is willing to suffer the consequences of what he has done.

Verses 6-11 In these verses, taking up a bulk of this chapter, David expresses how God is a just judge and angry with the wicked daily. He asks God to rise up in anger against those who have come against David in this time of stress and chaos. He says God will judge the people, and he even asks God to judge him. David wants God to check his integrity, check his motives, to check his heart. David says God will make the wicked come to an end, but the righteous God looks at people's hearts and intentions. David says he is defended by the God who saves those upright in heart. 

Verses 12-16 David describes what will happen to the wicked. He says they will fall into the very ditch they made to snare someone else. The pit they dug for someone else will be the very pit they fall into when God gets through with the wicked. David said the mischief they thought to do to someone else will come upon their own head. The violence they thought to do to others, David said will return to themselves. Whatever evil they imagined to do unto others will come right back to them.

Verse 17 David ends this psalm with praise. He has petitioned the LORD for what he needs. He has encouraged himself with remembering the character of God. He is satisfied with the way he knows God is going to handle the matter and now it is time to praise Him. Notice David says he will praise the LORD according to His righteousness. David's circumstances have not changed yet, but he is not allowing circumstances to dictate whether he is going to praise God or not. David knows God is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory because He is God and He is good and He is holy. David's last words in this passage is, "I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High."

You may feel surrounded by people who talk about you, lie on you, throw you under the bus, and watch for you to fail. You may feel overwhelmed and in mental distress like David. You may feel like you are outnumbered and alone, but God is on your side! He is fighting for you. He comes against the workers of iniquity and fights for you! He will take care of the matter. Ask Him to search you for sin and if He reveals to you anything at all, put it under the blood. If you have bitterness, ask Him to help you forgive. If you have hate in your heart, ask God to give you love for your enemies and those who wound you. He will do it. And once you have been cleansed by God then begin to praise God and stop thinking about the mess and the problems. Stop worrying about the things they did to you or said about you. It's over. God has taken care of it. He is on the scene working and you can carry on. He is for you and He loves you. That is something to praise God for.

I hope you have learned something new today. I certainly have learned a lot. I am taking away just as much, if not more, than what I am giving today. Trust God to handle these circumstances and do not give up. God is fighting for you and He will deliver you. I hope something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you.

~Bridgett Owens

 

How To Act In The Presence Of Jesus | Fuel For The Weekend

John the Baptist was the herald for Jesus. He preached about Jesus. He taught about Jesus. He saw Jesus! He said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." This is recorded in John 1:29. Jesus walks up to John in the book of Matthew and I just imagine the men look into one another's eyes and there is an exchange much like when they were in their mother's wombs. The Bible says John leaped in his mother's womb when Mary walked in with Jesus in hers. The exchange must have been powerful.

John thought so much of Jesus, in John 1:26-27, he answered the Pharisees, "I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose." Do you understand that John recognized Jesus was the Son of the Living God? He told the Pharisees that they were standing in a crowd of people and one of the people in that crowd is the Lamb of God! John said I am not even worthy to loosen His sandals. He did not feel that he was worthy of touching the feet of Jesus because of what John knew about Jesus. What do we think about Jesus?

How many times do we rush to ask God for a need? We pray God I need You to do X, Y, and Z. Do we stop first to honor Him? Do we acknowledge Him in reverence? When we enter His courts and into His gates we are to do so with praise and thanksgiving. We should not rush to demand something from the Messiah, our King. Jesus taught us to pray, "Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be Thy name." Hallow it, revere it. He is the Most High God and we must not just rush into prayer, "God do this! God You've gotta move! Do this... do that.... no, take a moment to honor the King. We must humble ourselves before Him. Respect Him!

Jesus approaches John and there is this exchange that we don't read about it, but we know it had to have happened. When we encounter Jesus, there is an exchange that happens. Jesus wants John to baptize Him. Can you believe that? John almost couldn't. He said, "You should baptize me!" I love that Jesus tells him, "Allow it to be. It is appropriate for us to fulfill all righteousness." Matthew 3:15 You see, Jesus did not cut corners. He did not take liberties or partake of special privileges, even though He could have because He is God! No, He fulfilled all of the law. He did it all perfectly to the letter because we never could get it right. He was made righteousness for us. Jesus did not need baptism but He always led by example.

Time has passed and we move to Matthew chapter 14. John has beheaded by Herod because he made a stupid promise to a young girl while he was drunk and full of himself. The wicked wife of Herod's, who was originally his brother's wife, wanted John the Baptist's head on a charger. He had to keep his promise and so it was. Jesus heard about it and he left in a ship to a remote area over the see of Galilee. Jesus wanted to be alone, no doubt, but when the multitude of people heard about it, they followed Him. They walked along and in our natural state, we might have told the people to go away. We may have said, "I just need to be alone. I need to get my thoughts together. I need to grieve in my own way. Please give me some time." But Jesus did not do that. In verse 14 Jesus saw the great multitude and was moved with compassion for them. He healed the sick among them. And I just wonder what it would be like if we move forward like Jesus did, and we see the multitude of people who are dying and going to hell, lost and in need of a Savior, and what if we just put our own feelings aside for a moment, our own problems, our own trials, and what if we pushed past all that to have compassion and pray for the sick to be healed of Jesus. What would that look like in our churches? What would that look like in our schools? What would that look like in our neighborhoods? What would that look like in society?

Reading on in this chapter, we see that Jesus tells His disciples to feed the people and He performs the miracle we know today as the Loaves and the Fishes. After the people had been healed and fed Jesus lovingly sends them all away and then we pick up reading in verse 23, "And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone. He finally gets the quiet time He desired. He finally gets to be alone with His Father. That tells me that when we are hurting ourselves, troubled, or upset we must press on to keep working for the Master. We must not let our flesh take a vote. We need to tend to the needs of those He has entrusted into our care. And after we have met their needs and lovingly sent them away, then we can be alone to pray and rest in His presence.

The last point I want to make about this passage, though there are so many more points I could make, is what happened next. Let's read:

MATTHEW 14:24-27 (24)But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. (25)And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. (26)And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. (27)But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

These men are in a ship in the middle of the sea. It is in the night and the waves are crashing against their vessel. The wind is whipping up the waves and their ship starts rocking and they are in a situation they feel is out of their control. We have all been there. We get the call with the unexpected news on the other end of the line. We hear the doctor's report and we never saw it coming. We, like the disciples, are in a dark situation and we feel helpless to dictate the outcome. What do we do?

It is dark. It is in the middle of the night and the men see something walking on the water. They thought they saw a ghost and they began to cry out in fear. Their experience just went from bad to worse. They do not know what is coming next.

Immediately Jesus reassures them. "It is I; be not afraid." Jesus did not leave them in the dark, fearful circumstances. He immediately calmed their fears. He announced His presence and we see that it so motivated Peter that he asks Jesus to let him walk on the water too. And so Jesus lets Him. And then like all of us do, Peter took his eyes off Jesus and started looking at his circumstances. He noticed the violent wind, he felt the waves chopping against his legs, and he cried out in fear, "Lord, save me!"

We can get upset with Peter for doing that, but it is a natural thing. Jesus tells us He is with us and we feel better and we even get excited about doing something supernatural, or miraculous, for God, and then we start looking at our situation again, and we begin to sink like Peter did. But, look how Jesus responds. He IMMEDIATELY  stretched forth His hand and caught Him!

Let that sink in! He immediately stretches out His nail scarred hands and catches us! He does not let us go under. He does not let us sink. He does not tell us we are on our own. He catches us! He asks why did you doubt?

Why do we doubt? It truly is that in some situations we simply lack the faith that God will do what He said He will do. The good news is that we can say, "Lord, I believe, but help my unbelief." That was what the man said to Jesus in Mark 9:24. He was the father of a child with a dumb and deaf spirit. Jesus will give us help to believe! He continues to work on our behalf all the time. Let's not give up hope when HOPE is what Jesus gives!

The beautiful end of this story is in verse 32, "And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased." Jesus brought Peter back to the ship and the wind stopped. The winds obey Jesus. The trials will rock us off course, leave us turned upside down and inside out, but when Jesus puts us back where we belong, the storm stops. Sometimes He calms the storm, others times He calms His children.

Think on these things this weekend, friends. This is Fuel For The Weekend. I hope something I shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear | Wednesday Bible Study

Hello friends! It has been a while since I last posted. I have had a lot of health issues and I continue to battle them today. I am trusting God and I know He is my healer, but for those of you who live with chronic pain you know that some days you just try to make it through the day and that's the best you can do. So, God put this topic on my heart today: Perfect love casts out fear! This is straight from the Word of God and I want to talk about that in light of situations going on in our world today.

Fear is ugly. Fear is a tactic from the enemy to keep us stagnant, to prevent us from doing anything for God, and to keep us bound. When we live in a place of fear we get anxious, we get depressed, we lose hope and we are not effective workers in God's Kingdom. So the enemy loves to use fear.

The news is full of scary stories: a young family went to a park and was later found dead; a young girl engaged to be married, found dead after being away on a trip with her fiance; the violence in Afghanistan; reports of increased cases of the Vid and the division of Camp Poke and Camp Nope. There are stressful situations all around us and the enemy is working so hard to get us frustrated and upset but God has a plan and today we are getting our hope back, our joy back, and our freedom back!

1 JOHN 4:12-19 (12)No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us. (13)Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit. (14)And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. (15)Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. (16)And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (17)Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world. (18)There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (19)We love Him because He first loved us.

Take the time today to read 1 John chapter four. It is a wonderful chapter that will give you more insight into what we are talking about today. I want to go over today's passage with you and give you some hope.

God is love. It is not just what He does, it is who He is. He is love. There is no love apart from God. So when we recognize Jesus is the Son of God and we believe in Him, we are saved. As Christians, we are in fellowship with Jesus. He lives in our heart and He placed His Holy Spirit inside of us. We have power and authority that God gave us through Jesus to overcome all the trials of this life. God is PERFECT LOVE.

It is hard to understand perfect love because as humans we love our parents, our children, our friends, our spouses, etc. but we do not love perfectly. We make mistakes. We get offended. We do not love perfectly. God's love is perfect. There is no flaw in it. There are no mistakes. He loves us unconditionally as a sinner as well as a child of God. He loved us first. His great love covered the multitude of sins we have. So how can we experience perfect love?

We need to have quiet time alone with God. We need to hang a do not disturb sign on the door and spend some time with Him. We cannot have a meaningful relationship with someone if we only use them for what we need and want and never spend time in their presence, getting to know them. There are so many facets of God's character. We need to spend quality time with Him to know Him and learn about Him. Remember Matthew 11:28-30 where Jesus offers us that sweet rest for our weary souls? He tells us to learn who He is. Get to know Him.

When we are in the presence of God fear cannot stay. It leaves! It cannot hold us down or hold us back. We are free in the presence of God. We must draw near to Him. Instead of turning on the news to get an update, slip away to a place you can hear from God and see what His view is on the things in the world. Instead of stressing over things you cannot control, tune in to the Word of God and read the Good News! We know there will be trouble in the world because Jesus told us there would be. He said there would be diseases and wars and rumors of wars. He told us that the hearts of many would grow cold; that people would be lovers of themselves and compassion would diminish. Friends, we know that these things will happen but remember what Jesus said? 

JOHN 16:33 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.

Fear and peace cannot share the same space. If your heart is full of fear, doubt, dread, and stress then you are not living in peace. There is peace that comes from God that the world cannot give. This peace is sweet and it is beyond comprehension. In the middle of the storm, when the waves are crashing against you, and you feel like you are going under for the last time, when you turn your eyes on Jesus you will see His extended hand and He will rescue you. He did not leave us without hope. He is coming back. Things are bleak right now. Things are discouraging right now, but we do not hope for things in this world. We put our hope in Jesus Christ. He loves us. He loves with a perfect love and He is going to make all the crooked paths straight. He works to untie the knots and tangles in our situations. He heals and restores. He mends the brokenhearted. Let's get our hopes up again. Turn to the Master and let Him lead you out of the land of the fearful and into the land of the free. God has you in the palm of His hand and He will never, NEVER let you go!

I hope that something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

 

5 Things To Do In The Waiting Season | Fuel For The Weekend

I am thankful for another weekend to spend with my family. I am a nurse and before that I worked in the medical field for decades and mixed in retail as well. Many weekends were spent working and while I am thankful for the opportunity to help provide financially for our family, it is a big blessing when I have a job that allows me to be off Saturday and Sunday. This particular job I currently have allows me to have Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays off, but like I mentioned yesterday this week has been crazy so I was able to work today to make up for some missed time and I am grateful.

I have been wondering what Holy Spirit would have me share for this week's Fuel For The Weekend blog post. I learn as much as I teach many weeks as Holy Spirit opens my eyes to hidden truth found in God's Word. I hope you are learning and growing as you join me on this blog each week. For those of you who check back each Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: thank you so much.

I want to offer five things we can actively do in the waiting season. We do not have to sit and wait, we must be doing something while we wait on the promises of God to come into fruition. Let's look at what the Bible tells us to do while we patiently wait for God to answer our prayers.

#1 BE BRAVE

PSALM 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

The dictionary definition from Oxford Languages defines courage as "the ability to do something that frightens one," and "strength in the face of pain or grief." Often we do not know how or when God is going to answer our prayer. While we wait we must be brave in the face of the unknown. It requires a spiritual strength when we have lost something to keep hoping and believing. You can be in a place of provision, where God clearly has His hand on you and your situation but it can still feel like loss and grief because the promise is not fulfilled yet. We are waiting on our home. We have no idea when we will get it or where it will be, and honestly we are praying for guidance as to where to look, but we know God has the perfect home for us in mind and it is reserved for us. He has promised it to us so we will have good courage and press on.

The beauty of this scripture is the promise that when we wait on the LORD with good courage God will strengthen our heart. He will give us the strength to face the pain or grief. He gives us the ability to do something that scares us. We wait and trust and continue to hope and He strengthens us to have the courage we need to keep believing when our circumstances do not change. Are you willing to do this? I am!

#2 KEEP PRAYING

ACTS 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of Me.

ACTS 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren.

In the book of Acts, Luke tells us that Jesus had commanded them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father. They did not know exactly when the promise would come. They were told to go and wait. Later in the same chapter we know that 120 were gathered in the upper room waiting for the promise. The Bible says they continued, so that means they did not pray once or twice and give up. They continued with one accord. If you are praying with others get into the same accord. If you are praying by yourself, then get into accord with Holy Spirit because no matter who all is praying, you must agree and have the same mindset: not doubting, but believing. They continued in one accord in prayer and supplication.

Prayer and supplication are similar but different.  Prayer is asking God for something or thanking Him for something. It is when we request something for ourselves or make intercession for others. Supplication is more urgent. It is like begging, pleading, urgently requesting, in an earnest, humble way.  We know God heard our request for a home. We still pray and ask God to order our steps, lead us to the right bank lender, the right realtor, the right home. Every step we take we are asking God. Sometimes we are praying for His favor and His help, and other times we feel so desperate we begin in prayer and it turns to urgent seeking God in supplication for our home. We must not stop praying. We must continue to not only ask, but wait for the promise.

Everyone is waiting in the upper room in the same mindset in prayer and supplication. They continued day after day seeking God and waiting on the answer. We must do this, too. Do not give up or think that your prayer didn't matter to God. It does matter and the answer is on the way. Keep praying and keep seeking the answer, with expectation that the answer is coming!

#3 EXPECT IT

JAMES 5:7 Be patient, therefore, brethren unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

It is springtime and many people have started planting seeds for their gardens. Some plant flowers, but many have been showing their plants for lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. The Bible says we are to be patient like a farmer who waits for the precious fruit of the earth and has long patience for it. This is some long waiting, some long-suffering. We are told to wait a while on some things. Yes, this is encouraging us to wait on Jesus to return, but it can also be true of waiting a while on things God has told us He would bless us with and we just don't see it yet. 

Let's think like a farmer for a moment. The farmer has to get the ground ready first. There is some plowing that goes on. The ground is turned over, the rich soil revealed and things get messy. Anyone following me? Has things in your life got messy as God is turning over the rich soil buried beneath the crusty core of the surface? He is about to plant some seeds and it's going to be amazing! The seeds go into the fertile soil. The farmer does not spend any length of time planting and get up the next day only to throw his hands up and walk away in disgust that there is no harvest! He knows it is going to happen. He knows he has to wait. He knows it is going to take some time for the seed to take root and then burst through the surface of the ground and then be taken care of so weeds and pests do not destroy the crop. God is giving us blessings that take a lot of work and God is the worker! He is doing a lot of things behind the scenes, underneath where we cannot see what is going on. In the spiritual realm He is lining things up, moving some things, strategically placing things in order so He can give us what He promised us. Will we wait with patience? Will we continue to expect the answer, or just walk away when God's calendar and ours don't line up? I promise you, His timing is best!

#4 BE CONFIDENT

HABAKKUK 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

What an incredible verse! The promise God gave us is for a specific time. God knows the house is not for us right now. It is coming soon and I believe that with all of my heart, but this is not the right time. This verse is saying to wait for it. That was such a popular saying on television a few years ago, "Waaaait for iiiiiit!" That is what we are being told now. Wait for it! It is going to happen just like God promised and we have to keep on trusting that it will. We can have confidence because the Bible says it will surely come. It is going to happen. It is not delayed. It is strategically planned by God for an appointed time to happen. If it has not happened yet then we have to just keep waiting with confidence knowing it will come soon! God is keeping His promises to His people. He is not a liar. He is not being mean. He is not overlooking us. He is not forgetting us. He is not changing His mind. He is not giving the promise to someone else. We will have what He has in reserve for us when it is the right time. His timing is not ours, but it is always right on time!

#5 HAVE HOPE

ROMANS 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

How do we wait well in this season? I think this verse spells it out perfectly. If we hope for what we do not see, then we wait patiently for it. We must not lose our hope. The devil comes to discourage us. He tells us lies that we are forgotten, or we misunderstood the promise God made to us. He distorts the truth until we lose our hope and give up. Friends, let's not lose hope! If you have lost hope, then get your hope back! Hope in the Lord! Psalm 38:15 says, "For in Thee, O LORD, do I hope: Thou wilt hear, O Lord my God. He hears us and we can keep our hope in Him. It does get tiresome waiting, but we must not faint. We must not grow weary in well doing, according to Galatians 6:9. And one final scripture that I want to add is in Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Yes, we hold to hope and wait on the LORD to answer our prayers. We know He hears us when we have become His children and earnestly seek Him. He is listening. Do not believe the lies of the enemy. God is for us and not against us. He is making good on every promise He has given. Trust Him and keep hoping! Get your hope back if you lost it. Just meditate on the scriptures and the hope will rise up in your heart!

Father God, I want to pray for all of us in this season of waiting. God I know that many of us are in the long-suffering season, but as the farmer waits for the good crop in time, we know we can wait with expectancy, too. God I ask that You strengthen my brothers and my sisters as we wait on the promises we were given. We thank You and praise You for hearing and answering our prayers. May this blog post uplift and encourage my brothers and sisters who read this message of hope and encouragement. God we know the waiting season is long, but that only means we have a wonderful season of harvest just beyond the horizon and it's going to be so worth the wait! Thank You for being patient with us and for strengthening us! Thank You for the refreshing and renewing You are doing in our hearts and lives. Thank You that the answer is on the way! In Jesus' precious name! Amen!!!

Friends, I hope you have a safe, fun weekend. I hope you are able to enjoy it and get some time to be alone with God. I will be doing these five things as I walk out this tiring season of waiting. It has been fruitful and productive and oh, so necessary! I pray that something I have shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Exodus 14 Again! | Fuel For The Weekend

 

It's Friday evening and I am not sure what to share. I have been starting at my unopened laptop and nothing has come to mind. I have memorized a lot of scripture, but I just couldn't decide on which verse to share. I feel stuck in my life right now. I feel like I am caught in midair. Have you ever been there?

I have been thinking about our life in Alabama a lot. We had no intentions of ever moving back to Indiana but God had other plans. We prayed about it and God confirmed that we should move back. We still weren't sure, so we talked about it and we believed we heard from God, but we just hated to leave our life, our friends, and our family behind again and move back to...what? What jobs? What school would Javan go to? Where would we live? How can we decide on what doctor to see, or choose a school for our son when we had no idea where we would be living. It felt a lot like moving to Alabama when God told us to do so.

Now we are back in Indiana, still staying with Paul's parents and we are so incredibly grateful, but I have to be honest, we want our own home. We fasted and prayed 21 days for it in January and we really thought we would have a home at the end of the fast, but it didn't happen. Then we prayed and Paul felt God had said by February 14, but then that didn't happen. And so each month that goes by, we are like, "God. What's up? Why do we not have our own home yet?" And we have no answer. So we fall back on the proverbial it's just not time yet. It's all in God's time. That's true, it is all in His time, but He promised us a home and it's so very hard to not have our own space.

So I open up my Bible to find something to share and I open back up to Exodus 14:10-16. I should be able to quote it now, I have read through this passage so much this year. It was encouraging in verse 14 when it says, "The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." Yes! Fight and prevail like only You can, Jesus. But then in this moment I am not seeing that verse jump off the page. Right now I know Holy Spirit wants me to see something else on this page.

You may remember I shared Exodus 14:15 where the children cried out and so Moses cried out to God on their behalf and He said to Moses, (paraphrased) "Why are you crying to Me? Speak to the children of Israel and tell them to GO FORWARD!" And that was encouraging to me. I felt like moving forward included a new house and that was so exciting to me. I was really uplifted by this passage! It was so good. And yet as I read through these verses again tonight, that verse is not highlighted either. So I think okay, what are You trying to tell me God? What am I missing in this passage because You keep bringing it to my attention? So here we are.

In verse 10 the children of Israel saw Pharaoh draw near and they saw the Egyptians marching behind him. It scared them! A lot! And they cried out unto the LORD. I wonder what they said. Did they ask for His protection? Did they just scream in desperation? Because the next verse they cave. They were like, "Why kill us here in the wilderness when we could have died in Egypt?" In verse 12 they are so discouraged and feel so defeated they tell Moses, "We asked you to leave us alone and let us be slaves in Egypt. It was better in Egypt with the torture and poor treatment than to die here in the wilderness." Wow! The religious Bridgett could be so judgmental here. Right? The ones who think they have it all figured out could be so arrogant and proclaim, "The nerve! Listen to the way they spoke to Moses and after all he did to free them from bondage." But broken and wounded Bridgett sees it different.

I am not so different. I am upset that I had to leave my beautiful ocean and my home that I loved and friends I cared about. I miss my church and the hugs and the smiles. I miss teaching the kids and I miss the closeness of being with my husband and our kids. But Alabama was hard. It was hard and it was sad sometimes. We missed our family and friends in Indiana. I missed the fall season. I missed the familiar. I missed knowing where I was going without a GPS all of the time. But I accepted the move didn't I? I'm not so sure now. I moved here but I keep thinking back to Alabama and my home. My bedroom. My bookshelf. My craft cabinet. My kitchen. My pantry. My bathroom. I miss the provision God gave me. Is my heart grieving for the provision when I have the Provider? God forgive me!

I am afraid. Moses tells the scared children of Israel not to fear. I need to remember that God is in control. He promised us a beautiful home and I am going to believe He is a Promise Keeper. He is a Way Maker. It is so hard in the waiting. When the days turn to weeks and the weeks into months, it gets harder and harder to believe the promise is coming, but God is not a man that He should lie. He is going to keep His promise to us. And I need to stop letting fear bring me down. I have to let go of the past. I need to thank Him for the provision He gave us and remember He has always made a way for us and He will do it again. In His perfect time.

Please pray for me this weekend. As you sit in your favorite chair, open your own refrigerator, cook your favorite meal, organize your closet, or relax in your own bed, please say a prayer for me and my family. Please pray that we will hold on to hope and not let go. Pray that we will have the strength to see it through and that God will not delay the promise much longer!

If you are going through something, too, please drop me a comment or email me and let me know. I will pray for you too. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Who Are We? | Fuel For The Weekend

Another week is drawing to a close as the weekend is upon us. For many, today kicks off spring break, and marks the final days for others' spring break. I have thought back to the beginning of 2021 and it does not seem like we should be in third month of the year. I think back to goals I made at the beginning of January, and goals I reassessed in February, and now I am not sure how well I am doing with any of the goals made. Have you experienced that too? It's kind of a time to reflect back at progress made and sidetracked, derailed plans. The good news is that we can gather our thoughts, go back to what is most important to us, and start fresh with new goals. It's never too late to get started if you haven't made any goals.

Something I like to think about is God and His plan for my life. I don't have all the answers. Some days I don't feel like I have any answers. I know He does and that gives me peace and comfort in the tough days. It's been a rough season. We had hoped to find a house by now and others are in our same boat: nothing is available, and then once something good hits the market it is quickly snatched up, or it is grossly overpriced. Even when things look like they are not changing, no progress is being made, and even when it looks like things get worse instead of better, God is still good and He still has good plans for our lives.

I like what the Psalmist wrote in chapter eight. He talks about the excellence of God and how in awe he was that God would not just create mankind but He actually thinks about us and cares for us. Isn't that inspiring. Even if we are doing all the right things, waiting as best as we can, and keeping our eyes on Jesus, it is so hard to hold on when the winds beat our vessel, tossing us to and fro. It is in the times of uncertainty and not knowing that I can read this passage and be reminded if God can do all that, He surely can meet my needs and answer my prayers. Let's read it together.

PSALM 8:3-9 (3)When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; (4)What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him? (5)For Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. (6)Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet: (7)All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; (8)The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. (9)O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!

It is the expression of my heart as well. I look at the night sky full of stars and the moon shining in its glory. I see the beauty in the night sky as stars form into amazing constellations and the earth is given light from these created light sources made by the spoken word of God. He breathed and the stars were formed. He named them and hung them in the exact location He wanted them to shine. Who am I that God would crown me with glory and honor? Who am I that He would take the time to think about or plan a glorious journey for me? Who are we that He would not only know our name and have a wonderful plan for our lives, but then He strategically placed us in the place we would shine brightest?

What would cause the majestic LORD and Creator to give us dominion over the beasts in the field and air and sea? What an excellent Savior we have who not only saw that we were lost and undone in our sins, but selflessly laid down His life for us so we could be free and forever live with Him in paradise! What an incredible gift of love and sacrifice that we will never know or experience because Jesus paid it all.

Friends, as we embark on this weekend and whatever that may look like for each of us, let's remember the God who created us is thinking about us and He has great plans for us. My father-in-law will be laid to rest on Monday and we have comfort and peace in knowing that Steve made his heart right with the Lord. He rededicated his heart to the LORD and now as we lay him to rest, we can continue the journey we are on toward Home knowing one day it will be our turn. One day, and no one knows when, it will be our time to step into eternity and if we have surrendered our lives to the Lord Jesus, put our faith and trust in Him, and believe the saving work He did on the cross at Calvary, we will be with our Savior. The Creator, the Savior, the Planner, the Healer, the Comforter, the Joy Giver will welcome us Home. Why wouldn't we want to serve Him? He is so wonderful.

May His name echo through all the earth. You are excellent in every way God Most High. Let's honor Him with all that we do and say this weekend. I am hoping something I shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

How Great Is Our God | Thankful Thursday

Have you ever been to the ocean? I am surprised to learn that many people have never seen the ocean. It is so beautiful and one of my favorite places to be. I am sharing a photo today that I love. I don't like having my picture taken very often but my daughter took this picture as I was staring over the ocean in Biloxi, Mississippi. The sky was breathtaking and looked like cotton candy. The ocean, so vast - with white caps and small waves rising and crashing. The ebb and flow of the water at the edge of the white sand was so relaxing I could have easily been lulled to sleep. The salt in the air and the beauty around me filled my heart with gratitude and thankfulness. What a joy it was to be surrounded by God's beautiful creation.

As I sit in Indiana, surrounded by white SNOW and not white sand, I long for the warmer temperatures. I do not like winter, and I never have. Far from the beautiful place God sent us for 16 months, I am reminded that I can no longer just take a short walk to see the beautiful water. Instead of longing for what I cannot have, I am thankful for the memories. I am grateful for the experience. I am happy that I had those opportunities to grow exponentially in my faith and our little family of four connected like never before.

What about you? Is there something that you want? Something you miss? Something you may not be able to get back but you long for it? Friends, don't get discouraged. If God has removed something from your life, rest assured He has something better to give you. It may not feel like it, and maybe if you are mourning the loss of a beloved pet or family member maybe it is not going to be replaced, but I know that God gives beauty for ashes and strength for fear, gladness for mourning, and hope for despair.

PSALM 33:6-12, 18-22 (6)By the Word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. (7)He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: He layeth up the depth in storehouses. (8)Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. (9)For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. (10)The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: He maketh the devices of the people of none effect. (11)The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations. (12)Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance. (18)Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy; (19)To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. (20)Our soul waiteth for the LORD: He is our help and our shield. (21)For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His Holy name. (22)Let Thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in Thee.

What an incredible passage. I encourage you to go back and read all of Psalm 33. It is SO good. It is refreshing to the soul. The words make a huge impact on me in this season of waiting and not seeing anything around me change. I am staring at the horizon, much like in this picture, and I am waiting, hoping, expecting, and sometimes doubting but I repent and try harder to believe and wait and hope and expect again. Verse seven says He gathers the water together in a heap. The ocean is so big and so deep and so wide and yet God who is far greater and bigger than the ocean He created, just gathers it in a heap! Verse eight says let all the people in the world stand in awe of God. 

I was in awe at the ocean. I feel so small, so minuscule next to the ocean, but I don't feel insignificant. And I think that is part of what draws me to the water. It is so incredible to see that the very one who knows how many drops are in the ocean, is the very same God who loves me so much He sent His Son Jesus to die for my sins and then rise on the third day. How can we not feel loved and cared for by the Master of the wind when we feel the breeze blow into our face? How can we wonder if God is real when proof is painted in every sunset of every single day.

This passage reminds us that everything was made at the voice command of God, Elohim, our Creator. And if we are going through a situation where we need to see and experience a move of God, we can ask the star-breather to speak life into our hopeless situation and He will do it. We will be amazed at the way He comes through for us. Just stand still and know that He is God. Verse 20 says our soul waits for the LORD because He is our help and our shield. He is everything we need. He is the giver and protector. He sustains us and lifts up our heads. We can rejoice in our hearts because we trust Him. He is always faithful.

I am thankful for many things this week. I am thankful for the heat, and the water, electricity, and reliable transportation to get my husband to work safely and back home safely, too. I want to tell my family and friends in Tennessee and Texas that I am praying for you all. I am praying you get your water and power back. I am praying you stay warm and safe. I am praying the ice melts soon and that warmer temperatures can come and thaw out the frozen pipes and things that have plagued so many families. I am praying for the safety of the emergency workers who are risking their own lives to save others. And as David says in verse 22, Let Your mercy LORD be upon Your children according as we hope in You. Keep hoping in Jesus. Let's keep Him first. Keep a praise and a grateful heart toward God. Let's love one another and help encourage each other. Jesus is coming back so soon and we want to be ready!

I pray that something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Blessed Mourning | Thankful Thursday

Jesus said in Matthew 5:4, "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." What an incredible statement. When you have lost nothing, and nothing has been taken from you recently, it sounds so beautiful and encouraging. It seems like it is a wonderful promise that maybe when someone you love dies it won't hurt as bad. But that is not the promise. Maybe it makes us think that we, as believers, get a pass on the grieving process, but that simply is not true. It is not what Jesus is saying at all.

Jesus said the people that grieve, no matter what that loss looks like, regardless of what the object is, be it a loved one, a beloved pet, a job, an opportunity, finances, physical health, mental health, it could be anything at all, --those people are blessed. Blessed?? It sure doesn't feel like I'm blessed when I lose something or someone. But if we just stop at Blessed are they that mourn and we don't read the rest of the sentence we miss the whole point. It sounds kind of cruel almost to bless someone because they are grieving. Why are we blessed? Why did Jesus call us blessed when we mourn?

The promise is not that we will never hurt, or that we won't ever have hard times. Jesus told us in the Gospels that in this world we would have trouble. In John 16:33, in the red letters, Jesus again speaking says, "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.

The reason we are blessed when we mourn is because we have Hope, the Blessed Hope. We have Jesus and He has given us a promise from His own mouth in Matthew that promises we SHALL be comforted. We will be consoled. We will be cared for in the lowest moments, in the lowest valleys. Jesus told us a couple chapters back in John 14:16-18 "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."

Now do you see where the mourners are blessed with Comfort? Jesus is coming to each and every one of us that serve Him and He through the Holy Spirit comforts us. He is the Comforter! That is why we can face the uncertainty of tomorrow and all fear can be gone because Jesus lives. He lives inside each of His children and He is comforting those that mourn.

This Thankful Thursday I am thankful for my cousin, Tim. I am thankful that I knew him and that he loved me and cared for me and gave me some wonderful memories. He nicknamed me, "Bridgett the Midget" when I was a little kid. I understand the term "midget" is not politically correct but he just called me that because I was a short kid and it rhymed. It was just in jest. I am thankful for the privilege to be able to hold his hand and pray over him and I know God moved on Tim's behalf. I am thankful for the power of prayer and for what God can do. I am thankful that Jesus is alive and that means we have HOPE because Tim placed his faith in God. He received his license to minister and preached last Sunday. Now he is Home. Everything he lived for in these last days of his life... the message he shared with his whole heart... he gets to see the fruit of his labor as he now is in the presence of the Lord. the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:8, We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

It may seem strange that on this Thankful Thursday I am grateful for this topic, but I am thankful that I do not mourn like the world who is without hope. I have the blessed assurance that Tim is in a far better place than I am. He is with God and he has no more cancer, no more sickness, no more pain, no more suffering, no more swelling, no more torment. He saw through a glass darkly but now face to face. It just encourages me to draw nearer to God. Lord, help us all be ready when You call our name. We must labor while we have the chance, friends. Work now while you can. We are not promised tomorrow and one day it will be over. Our fighting and striving for the good fight we are battling in this life will be over and we will have Jesus welcome us in to His paradise. What a day that will be!

I am 42 years old and most of my family has died now, the majority of them through some type of cancer. It has swept through our family swiftly and there are very few of us left, many are not in good health that remain. I do not take my days on earth lightly. If I could have one wish, one desire, one goal it would be to reach the whole world for Jesus Christ. It would be that I would tell everyone about the goodness of God. His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness. He is loving and kind and quick to forgive. Jesus already paid for your salvation. It is free. It is yours just by putting your trust in Him. Have you done that? If you have, I am so thankful! Let's help encourage one another, pray for and uplift each other on our journey we have left. If you haven't, please don't wait. You never know when time is up. Please do not put off making the best decision you could ever make. Ask Jesus to be your Savior. Tell Him that you believe Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for your sins. Confess with your mouth that you believe Jesus rose from the dead on the third day and now is alive forevermore. If you ask Him to forgive you of your sins and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, you are saved. It is that easy! It is that free! But don't stop there.

Find a church that is teaching from the Holy Bible and get yourself a Bible. Tell me if you need a Bible and I will make sure you have one. Read it every single day. Pray and ask Holy Spirit to help you understand what it means. It is spiritually discerned so that means you cannot read it like a regular book. You need Him to give you wisdom and knowledge to help you understand it. Surround yourself with other believers and if you have the opportunity to get baptized in Jesus' name then do that! Give your life to Jesus and you will soon see that your life changes. You will make better choices and you may have to change who you spend time with. You will lose your desire for the things you once craved in this world but you will get a hunger and a thirst for His righteousness and the Bible says you will be filled! You will never regret making Jesus the Lord of your life. You will never be the same.

I am thankful Jesus saved me with His merciful grace. He loves me and He has never given up on me. I would have given up on me by now but Jesus never does. He loves us all so much He gave His life for us. Do not wait another minute to ask Him into your heart.

I pray something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Hope Resource Center | Thankful Thursday

The LORD impressed on my heart to carve out a section of my blog to share what I am thankful for. I started it on a Thursday and decided to call it "Thankful Thursday." Each week I share what I am thankful for. Come back each week so we can count our blessings together.

Hope

Resource Center

and Medical Clinic

I am thankful for Hope Resource Center and Medical Clinic. You can find them on Facebook and I encourage you to check them out and follow them. They are a non-profit pregnancy care center and medical clinic that serves men and women in Lawrence county and surrounding areas with free and confidential services. Hardworking volunteers and staff provide quality care. In life's toughest situations you can turn to Hope.

At Hope Resource Center, they believe everyone is entitled to factual information about their pregnancy and their options, regardless of economic status. This is a safe place to learn and ask questions as you navigate through what could be a scary or stressful time in your life.

In addition to pregnancy services, Hope Resource Center offers STI screenings and Earn & Learn Parenting Programs. The pandemic has caused many organizations to restructure how they offer services, and Hope is no exception. Zoom online classes allow new parents to take advantage of these wonderful resources in the comfort of their own home. It is a wonderful resource to have and rewarding in more ways than one. To contact the Hope Resource Center click here now.

You may wonder how you can help. Perhaps you do not need these services yourself, but you may want to know how to get involved. First of all, you can pray for this organization. There are so many things they offer, even a free ultrasound, and it takes a lot of revenue to keep the center going. Pray for provision and protection for the staff and those who use these services. If you follow them on Facebook you can like and share their page. Sign up to receive their free newsletter delivered right to your inbox to stay up-to-date on what they are doing! You can do all of those things and still have a desire to do more. Regardless of your skill level, Hope Resource Center welcomes you to inquire about their volunteer services. You can find out more here. You may not be able to give your time to help Hope but there are still other ways to be a blessing to this wonderful organization. You can learn how to host a supply drive in your church, school, or business. The Baby Bottle Boomerang is not only the easiest fundraiser you ever have participated in, but it can be fun with a little friendly competition among your family, friends, youth group, small group, coworkers, or challenge your friends on Facebook! They have a current list of supplies they need and I think it would make a great service day project for your family and friends or business to take on!

If you enjoy shopping and saving money and supporting a good cause, you can do all three by stopping by Hope's Kids Closet. This second-hand store has a variety of new and gently used items such as clothes, toys, diapers, bedding, and much more. The prices are unbeatable and you are helping others as you help yourself! 

We are to be good stewards of all we are given, and the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. God has blessed many of us beyond meeting our needs. Out of the abundance we have, let's support this wonderful organization. You can give a generous one-time gift, or you can click the recurring gift option. It's safe and easy to do online. You can also mail a check if you prefer and the information is all on their website. 

1 John 3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? Powerful words to the church in Corinth and powerful words for you and I today. I am thankful on this Thankful Thursday that Hope Resource Center exists. It is awesome that God has given our community an amazing resource of hope in the exact location of Planned Parenthood. I encourage you to give back to the community by supporting this amazing organization. Check out their website to learn more. Call or message them on Facebook to learn more about classes and services they provide. If you host a supply drive let me know and I am definitely thinking of ways I can do the Baby Bottle Boomerang with my family and friends.

During this pandemic, we all have more time to sit and reflect on what is most important. Some of the things we did for pleasure are no longer an option. Some of the travel plans we have made or wanted to make are put on hold until further notice. This can allow us to give more generously in many cases. Find an organization that supports things you believe in. Research local businesses and find out how you can be a part of their success. Partner with others that are doing things you want to see more of. Together we are truly better!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens