Transitions | 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.

It's finally the weekend! This week has been a long one and battle after battle in the spiritual realm. This is the last weekend I will have off with my current employer. Starting Monday I will be on the final countdown of my 30 day notice. I begin a new job the following Monday and so I am in a bit of a transition period. It seems our country is in a pivotal moment as well. Many things are shifting and taking place in ways that are new and different and maybe even a little scary but we do not need to be afraid.

God spoke to me in my prayer time and quiet time of listening to His voice. He spoke to me in my spirit and I wrote down what He said. He told me that He was going to give me a job that I did not apply for. I had already experienced Him do that a few years ago and so I knew He would do what He said. I was not sure what I was going to do or where I would work but one day I got a call with a job opportunity, had the chance to interview that same day, and was hired on the spot! They were even willing to wait the 30 days it took for me to give my notice at work. I am looking forward to a new leg of this journey I am on and definitely in need of a change from my current work situation.

The election is the buzz around social circles everywhere. People are blasting one another with their opinions over who is the best candidate and who should be President. I am sad to hear so many people cut each other apart with their political debates, spewing hatred from their lips, appalled that anyone might have a different opinion than theirs. This division and strife does not come from Donald Trump or Joe Biden. These attacks are from satan and he desires to separate family and friends, neighbors and colleagues, and especially the church! We are the body of Christ: brothers and sisters and we must not allow the wiles of the devil to destroy what God has worked so hard to build.

I am praying for unity in the United States of America. We are not the Divided States of America. I am praying that families, churches, politicians, teachers, neighbors, friends, colleagues will come together with the common goal of sharing the message of hope, love, healing, and forgiveness found in Jesus Christ alone. I am praying that we can link arm in arm regardless of who we vote for and push past the pain we are causing each other. It's time to be known as God's children and we can only do that through love!

1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 

Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

Colossians 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind, one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Mark 9:50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

Luke 6:27-28, 31 (27) But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, (28) Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. (31) And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

Friends, we are in the very end of time. For those who do not have their hearts ready, that may be a hard thing to hear. You may be fearful and reluctant to believe that time is ticking away. The Bible tells us we are like wildflowers here today and gone the next. None of us know when we will be called before God's throne to give an account of our life. None of us know when the trumpet will sound and God will call His people Home. We must not be afraid of that day. To the Christian who has prepared their heart it is a time of jubilee and celebration. Our King is coming and we get to go Home soon!

I am ready to leave this world of trouble and pain and suffering behind. I have many unsaved loved ones: family and friends. I do not want to see them be lost. I am praying for them and for those in my city of Mobile. I desire for God to set this city on fire for His glory and to further the Kingdom. My 13 year old son had been closely watching the election results and was getting concerned about the outcome. He said, "Mom, I think God wants me to tell you this. I think that the devil is just using this election to distract people from doing good things for God. We are all so busy checking our phones and watching for the results of the election that we don't have time to do things for God." Wow! I was so blown away! Yes, out of the mouth of babes! He is so right. God confirmed that in my prayer time but it is easy to see it when we walk in the Spirit and not after the flesh.

Please continue to pray for this nation, pray for President Trump and his family and VP Pence and his family. Pray for Biden and Harris and their families. Pray for the elected officials who have won and will soon serve this great country. Pray we turn our hearts back to God. Pray that we stop tearing each other down and start building one another back up. Pray for healing and unity and justice FOR ALL. We are created in the image of God and He sent Jesus to make us all free. We are free from the slavery of sin and bondage that held us bound and was sentencing us to eternal separation from God. We ALL have a chance to make it if we will strive to enter in to the gate. Straight and narrow is the way and few be there that find it. Make sure you are on that path. God has so many great things in store for His children. Do not grow weary. Do not give up and do not give in. God is is control and He is victorious. Through Jesus we are all more than conquerors and He always causes us to triumph!

God bless you! God bless America, and America, please bless God!

~Bridgett Owens

Blue's Blessings | 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.

In September my friend Amy and I were talking about what kind of job I could have that would allow me to be home more, share my faith, and make a positive impact on others. The idea kept coming up that I would like to create a faith-based subscription box for kids around the age of 11-14 years old. The more we talked and threw out ideas the more we realized God was calling me to do just that. After much prayer, consideration, and talking with my family we decided to go for it and call it Blue's Blessings. I have been in children/youth ministry for 26 years. I have been in big churches and small churches and have taught many kids and I have taught few kids. I have been involved in women's ministries, hosted many Bible studies in my home, and created countless kits for a myriad of crafting events. I also led a card ministry for over a year at a church in Indiana. 

It has been a pleasure and a great honor to work on, design, put together, and pray over the curriculum and activities that we made available in our first launch. I am so thankful for each and every kid that received a Blue's Blessings subscription box. I have enjoyed hearing the positive feedback as these kids receive their boxes. For more information on Blue's Blessings you can visit our Facebook page here, our Instagram feed here, and our Twitter here. We are currently working on getting our online store up and running, an update is soon to follow. 

God has truly taken a dream He gave me and made it a reality; something my family and I can do together to further the kingdom. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18- 
In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

 

Count It All Joy | Bible Study

Yesterday was the presidential election. Many have voiced their opinions on who they think should be elected. It honestly doesn't matter who is the next President of the United State of America. God has a big plan for the whole world and His plan won't be swayed by who is in office. 

This has been a strange year. We had a pandemic around the world, Africa had locusts so bad in swarms that it destroyed much of their crops and vegetation, wildfires have destroyed acres and acres of land and burned many homes along with people's hopes and dreams, tropical storms/hurricanes/tornadoes have ripped apart Louisiana and many neighboring states along the border. Thousands and thousand of people have gone without power, lost food, and had damage to their property and vehicles, created hardships in an already brutal year. 

On Sunday, kids in my small group shared about their feelings of having to wear a mask all the time, increased restriction of shelter and place orders, and their anger over how life has changed with no end in sight. I gave them scriptures to strengthen them and empower them to walk victoriously this week and they really responded well. 

Tonight as I was reading in James I felt compelled to share chapter 1verses 2-8 in hopes that it may encourage someone reading my blog. In the familiar passage we are told to count it all joy when we fall into many temptations. They joy is not that we have  so many temptations but it is found in knowing that when our faith is tried, it develops the spiritual fruit of patience. It is important to allow patience to develop so that we will be complete and not want for anything. We don't always know how to do this so verse 5 tells us that if any of us lack wisdom; we should ask God and He gives to everyone generously without condemnation and we must have faith and not change our minds like a wave tossed with the wind. The Bible says that person should not think they will receive anything from the Lord. Someone who cannot make up their mind if they trust the Lord or not is unstable in everything they do. 

God is proven faithful in keeping His word. The Bible tells us He is not a man that He should lie. Make up your mind to trust Him. He is trustworthy. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is in control and His children are in His loving care no matter how bad the world gets or how dark the days, He is proven faithful. Trust and believe He is working all things together for our good and His glory. 

James 1:2-8
2) My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations:
3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience
4) But let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 
5) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 
6) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 
7) For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 
8) A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens 

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