Posted on January 31, 2019
Why is everyone hungry for more? “More, more,” they say. “More, more.”I have God’s more-than-enough,
At day’s end I’m ready for sound sleep,
Category: Uncategorized Tagged:
Posted on January 25, 2019
Vivian Nelson is married and resides in Birmingham, Alabama. She is a follower and believer of Jesus Christ and is a retired Integrated Steel Professional who enjoys all needle work (sewing, knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch); and is an avid reader. Vivian has traveled 40 contiguous states; six of seven continents and over 100 cities and countries. She is a member of Church of the Highlands, and an affiliate of Alabama Civic Chorale.
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Posted on January 17, 2019
Why is everyone hungry for more? “More, more,” they say. “More, more.”I have God’s more-than-enough,
At day’s end I’m ready for sound sleep,
Category: Uncategorized Tagged: MORE Fulfilled, MORE JOY, MORE PEACE, Surrender MORE
Posted on January 15, 2019
Written by Nicole Collier
John 14:27
”Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
In the fall of 2011, I unexpectedly lost my job due to the company closing the office, and I was 13 weeks pregnant. I fell into a depression that winter. It took everything I had to crawl out of bed.
That following spring was beautiful. I remember the sun was almost always shining without a cloud in the sky. I was beginning to feel rejuvenated, well, as much as I could in the second and third trimesters of my pregnancy. Then, in April of 2012 my daddy became ill. I lost my daddy to a stroke. This was the worst stroke the neurosurgeon of 20 years had ever seen. I was eight months pregnant. It caught my brother and me off guard. Disbelief was an understatement.
Here is where I can begin to pinpoint the beginning of my need to control every scenario in my life through playing it out in my mind. During the time of his hospitalization, and the months following, I had an unbelievable peace that I knew came only from God. However, in the years that followed, that peace started to unravel little by little until it became anxiety.
That was now seven years ago this April, and I decided at the beginning of this year I would find my “happy” again. How do you find your “happy” when fear and control has taken over? Friend, I wish there was an easy, simple fix for each of us, but there isn’t. God created each of us so incredibly beautiful and different that what works for one, may not work for the next. But I can tell you this is what has helped me begin to conquer it.
While this process is in the beginning stages, I can tell you that joy is beginning to fill my life. I am able to enjoy the moment I am in, and not worry about when the “other shoe will drop.”
My prayer for you, if you happen to find yourself in the same spot, is that you begin the journey of finding your joy and “happy” again. It is closer than we realize. Jesus is always closer than we realize.
Nicole Collier grew up in Montgomery, AL. She now lives in Shelby County with her husband, Matthew, and 2 boys, Ethan and Russell. She is a lover of all things creative, including photography and music. She and her family are involved with The Just People Project non-profit ministry serving the homeless throughout the city of Birmingham.
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Posted on January 14, 2019
There are things we did as children and still should do…
When the Apostle Paul spoke of putting away childish things, he spoke of things that stunt and hinder our spiritual progress. However, the scriptures also remind us there is a time to laugh. Don’t you think we all could use a bit more laughter?
Blow Bubbles ~ Trust me it’s still fun, all by yourself or with others! Splurge on the good stuff!
Lock Arms With a Friend ~ Do you remember the joy of skipping off to play with a friend? Try it again, we need each other. Skipping is optional!
Talk With a Child ~ This is always a great way to gain a different perspective. Be ready for complete honesty, though!
Play Silly Games ~ I remember my Granddaughter and I would play, “What Am I Doing?” (Charades) . There was a lot of laughter for two hours!
Talk To People~ Don’t be shy, engage in some friendly chit-chat with someone while you’re waiting in a line!
Cloud Gaze ~ My favorite! It’s okay if you don’t really see shapes. It keeps us still for a while!
Walk In The Rain ~ Don’t let a little rain stop you. The sounds, sights and smells are quite different from sunny day walks. Puddle splashing is a must!
Swing ~ Next time you’re at the park, grab a swing. You will remember why. Be sure to wait your turn, though!
You’re getting the idea, right? I bet you could think of more enjoyable things to do. The goal is to relax, laugh and just have some fun! The serious world will wait for you. And you can rejoin it refreshed, with a new outlook and more prepared to take it on!
One final thought, remember, “A cheerful heart is good medicine!” Now go out there and play!
Jodi Davis Lybrand is a life long resident of Shelby County Alabama. She is married, has raised two wonderful sons, has a beautiful daughter in law and 3 of the most adorable grandchildren ever! Her favorites include playing with those awesome grandsweeties, enjoying nature with long walks and sunsets, visiting with friends-old and new, painting and working through her bucket list! A Bible teacher for 30 years, teaching all ages, she jests that she can teach you a Bible lesson in sixty seconds or sixty minutes. Most of all, she loves encouraging people through the truths found in God’s word.
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Posted on January 9, 2019
Written by Michelle Price
Have you ever wondered if there is something more to life than juggling your busy schedule day after day? If you’re like me, you come home after work, completely exhausted, and wondering who else can cook the dinner tonight…Bob Evans or maybe Jason from that deli on the way home?
Mark Twain once said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” Perhaps you have been trying to find the “why” by working long hours to climb the corporate ladder or by investing your time to keep up with the Jones’s. Or maybe, like me, the perfectionist in you rears its ugly head but leaves you depleted and unfulfilled. In the search for something more, many of us come up empty and distracted.
Ultimately, our fulfillment rests not on the distractions or the ebb and flow of life’s experiences but in the hands of God. He created each one of us for a unique purpose that He ordained from the very beginning of time. Pablo Picasso reminds us, “The meaning of your life is to find your gift. The purpose of your life is to give it away.”
For some of us, discovering our purpose in life can seem like a daunting task. However, God’s Word sums up the purpose of a Christ follower with two simple assignments: to love God and to love others. He made each one of us with a unique personality and strategic skills, gifts, and talents to use in service to God and those arounds us. 2 Timothy 1:6 urges us to “stir up the gift of God which is in you.”
The LORD not only created us with one-of-a-kind gifts and talents, but He often weaves the deepest valleys of life into our God-given purpose. It was not until I found myself in a valley eight years ago that I uncovered my own. I was chasing the American dream and quickly found myself married with a beautiful house and a career in the nursing field. The world soon disappointed me when I found myself caught in the nightmare of sexual abuse by domestic violence. However, God used my darkest moments to establish the foundation for a ministry for sexually abused women. He can transform every broken area of our lives- traumatic memories, mistakes, and shortcomings- to make us whole and brand new!
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says that God “comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” Imagine utilizing your own valleys to speak life into the desperate woman who is walking into the very same story. She needs to hear that you have been through the trial, that you were scared, and that you are a witness to the fact that God was faithful to see you through it.
So as you juggle your busy schedule tomorrow, take the time to develop your gifts and talents. And listen for the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit as He guides you to that sister who needs to hear that there really IS Something More.
Take a brief moment to uncover your gifts and talents by completing the DISC Personality and Spiritual Gifts Assessment at https://www.arcchurches.com/disc/.
Michelle Price is the founder of GRACE Ministries, a faith-based ministry dedicated to nurturing women who have been sexually abused. She obtained her Certificate in Ministry and Leadership from Highlands College in 2015. She currently serves on the Junior Board at The WellHouse, a Christ-centered agency dedicated to rescuing women from sexual exploitation/human trafficking. Michelle is a devoted wife and faithful member of Church of the Highlands. She is employed full time as an acute care nurse practitioner at a local hospital in Birmingham, Alabama.
Category: Uncategorized Tagged: fulfillment, purpose, SomethingMore, spiritualgifts, witness