Tag: DEVOTIONAL

Christian

Beating Anxiety

Cindy Dawson

Anxiety is sneaky. It can disguise itself as something else. For me, anxiety was masquerading as indecision, ruffled nerves, anger, sadness, fear, negative thoughts, loneliness – yet a desire to be alone.

How can we feel lonely and desire isolation at the same time? I felt like I couldn’t put on my happy face and I didn’t want to. It would be easier to hide until I felt normal again. I didn’t want to have to talk to anyone. This was all boiling below the surface and I was afraid it would pop out at any moment. My foremost thought was, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

The odd thing was, I didn’t feel anxious about a particular problem. It was more like a cloud hanging over me. Anxiety is not necessarily the same as worrying. I can recognize worry right away and make a decision not to do it.

I felt like whatever it was I was going through was too strong for me to fight alone. So I got angry because I thought, “Nobody prays for me. Poor me! How can I have a ministry and nobody prays for me?” (And other ridiculous thoughts I’ll keep to myself.)

But once I realized that this dark cloud was anxiety, I was on my way to breaking free. (Probably because somebody was praying for me.) Identifying the problem robs it of power.

The rainbow in this storm is that I’ve learned to recognize this kind of spiritual attack and I know I am better equipped to face it in the future if it rears its ugly head.

If you think your enemy is too strong for you, hold on to this:

“He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.

 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
    but the Lord was my support.
 He brought me out into a spacious place;
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.”  Psalm 18:16-19 NIV

We need to memorize this one! I know I will. And remember – we extinguish the flaming arrows of the devil (the attack he launches against our mind) by believing God’s Word.

With Love, 

AA55AA1F-EA36-49A9-92BE-41FD67348618

This is My Journey Unscripted.

More Scripture references on anxiety and spiritual warfare:

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV

 

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:7-8 NIV

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:10-17 NIV

 

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 NIV

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Sydney Sims on Unsplash

realchristianwomen.blog 

Christian

Hope or Hopeless?

Cindy Dawson

Pastor Louie Giglio says, “Simply by our proximity to Jesus, we can bring hope and life to people and places trapped in discouragement and despair.” 

What greater motivation could there be for devoting time each day to God alone? My prayer is that because I seek Him, others will see Him and take hold of that hope that anchors my soul.

“We are never without hope, because we are never without Him.” Sarah Rodriguez Rhodes

Sarah writes about the day, shortly after her husband’s death, when doctors told her there was no hope for the life of her two-week-old baby girl. But Sarah says, “We are never without hope, because we are never without Him.” You can read her testimony of God’s faithfulness here. Sarah’s Story

“…Christ Jesus (is) our HOPE… 1 Timothy 1:1

With Love, 

Cindy

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog 

Christian

The Amazing Night Sky!

Cindy Dawson

Did you know that every star you see in the night sky is bigger and brighter than the Sun? The Sun is a dwarf star, but it’s much closer to us than the stars we see at night. In fact, the bright star Deneb, which is prominent in the evening skies of Fall and Winter, is 19 quadrillion miles away.¹

If we will take the time to contemplate God’s creation – watch it and think about it, His majesty and power will astound us.

You will see things you never noticed before. And that, will bring you closer to the heart of God. So let’s all slow down and take a closer look at what God has made. It’s pretty amazing.

God spoke: “Lights! Come out!
Shine in Heaven’s sky!”²

BOOM!

To see what happened next, watch this dramatic time-lapse video of the night sky.

CAUTION: WATCHING THIS VIDEO CAN MAKE YOU WANT TO QUIT YOUR JOB AND BECOME AN ASTRONOMER!

The Incredible Night Sky

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

“I sing for joy at the works of your hands.” Psalm 92:4 NIV

“Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory
    in the heavens…

3 When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,

4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?” Psalm 8:1,3,4 NIV

What did you think of the video? Are you ready to quit your job?

With Love, Cindy

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog 

¹http://earthsky.org/space/ten-things-you-may-not-know-about-stars

²Genesis 1:14 MSG

Photo Credit: Ryan Hutton, Unsplash

Christian

Be Still and Know That I Am God

Cindy Dawson

I’m a To-Do List,  planner, scheduled-day kind of person. I didn’t realize how much until recently.

It was early in the morning, about 6:00, when I let my dog, Bella, out the back door. Sunny skies, a gentle breeze, and the sweet sound of birds singing greeted me. I sat down on my little black bench to enjoy it for a minute.

I already had coffee in hand, so I drank it outside instead of hurrying into my office. Suddenly, a hummingbird darted past and paused to drink from the bright pink Hibiscus bloom peaking out from my neighbor’s balcony.

A baby bunny hopped out of the cornfield and looked around. A striking red cardinal flew to my bird feeder and looked me right in the eye. “Are you going to put any seed in this feeder or what?” he seemed to say.

A bright yellow Monarch fluttered by. It was like God had orchestrated his creation to entertain me. I couldn’t leave my seat.

After a while, this Scripture came to me, “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

I sat peacefully, obediently, enjoying the beauty right outside my door. My brain stopped buzzing around like it was on fire.

Then, God reminded me that His plan is never what a person thinks it will be. Abraham didn’t know that Sarah would give him a son in her old age. Jacob didn’t know he would have to work twenty years for Laban before he could leave with Rachel. And Joseph could never imagined that God’s plan would land him in prison. But all these things were part of God’s plan!

If these men of God were like me, they would have been thinking that it was all their fault that things were working out so badly. But God’s will was being accomplished through ordinary, imperfect men – in spite of their flaws.

I learned something important that day. Sometimes I just need to slow down, quiet my brain, and observe God’s creation. It reminds me that He is God. And I might hear that still, small voice.

“And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.” 1 Kings 19:11-12

With Love, 

Cindy

This Is My Journey Unscripted.

(Re-posted from July, 2018)

Do you want to become a Christian? Click this link to learn more: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog  

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

Christian, women

Has God Put a Desire In Your Heart to Serve Him?

Cindy Dawson

Has God put a desire in your heart? Has He made it so crystal-clear that you know for sure it came from Him?

Did things go great at first, but then problems started to arise? If things don’t go the way you expect, don’t begin to doubt what you first believed. Do not doubt yourself and your ability to accomplish the task.

Remember: God never does things the way we think He will. Just because problems arise doesn’t mean we should give up. In fact, I think it would be safe to say, problems will definitely arise!

Nehemiah spoke about “what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem.” (Nehemiah 2:12)

God put it in Nehemiah’s heart to rebuild Jerusalem. Do you think he may have run into a few problems? Of course he did!

We are instructed to learn from the past. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” Romans 15:4 NIV

When God puts it in our heart to do something, we can expect a spiritual battle to be right around the corner.

At first, everything happened quickly and easily for Nehemiah. The king granted all of his requests: letters to the various governors to provide safe travel and permission to take lumber from the king’s forest. The king even sent army officers and cavalry along with him on his journey to Jerusalem.

When Nehemiah asked the people to take on the great challenge to rebuild the wall, they enthusiastically agreed. They “worked with all their heart” (Nehemiah 4:6) and repaired the walls. Things were going great!

Then opposition began. The people were ridiculed mercilessly. “What are those feeble Jews doing? (Nehemiah 4:2) The enemy will always attack you personally. Who do you think you are? You can’t do that!

The enemies plotted together to stir up trouble. The strength of the laborers began to give out. What they started doing with all their heart, they began to doubt their ability to accomplish. They began to fear their enemies. (See Nehemiah 4:10-12)

Does any of this sound familiar? Because this is exactly how things work today! Be encouraged because things are right on track.

When the enemy came against them, “Each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked.” Nehemiah 4:18

When spiritual forces come against us, we must take up the Sword of the Spirit as we work. What does that mean for us? The Word of God and prayer are our weapons against the enemy.

By staying in the Word, we can hear the voice of God. Through prayer, we commune with the Almighty, which is intimate communication and the sharing of thoughts.

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword…” Hebrews 4:12

“Take ..the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God … and pray” Ephesians 6:17-18

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” 1 Peter 4:12

Is my faith being tested? Will I still believe what God has said when the enemy comes against me? Am I trying to accomplish something in my own strength? Or am I trusting Him to do it, knowing that my part is obedience?

Paul said, “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion…” Philippians 1:6 NIV

Put your trust in God, pray and read the Word. Now carry on, Christian Soldier!

Read about Nehemiah’s determination to rebuild Jerusalem in the book of Nehemiah.

With Love, Cindy

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog

Christian

Stirring Up Hope for the Forsaken

Cindy Dawson

Chris G Thelen's avatar140 Character Christian

Wednesday Walk Though the Bible, Matthew 5:1-12 & 7:28-29 (NIV)

#WednesdayWalk, an occasional exploration of what unknown people might have seen or felt when they witnessed the events in the Bible. This post is from the perspective of a person who encounters Jesus teaching the Beatitudes.

It was another hot day. The dust swirled around my sandals as I hurried along the path. Small stones crunched under my feet as I walked on the barren dirt. My mouth was dry from the heat as sweat dripped down my forehead and back. I was focused on fetching the baskets my father needed when I caught a glimpse of a large crowd on a hillside. I stopped and noticed the people were gathered around a man. “Why would so many people stand and listen to this man in heat like this?” I asked myself.

I hesitated a moment, curious as to why…

View original post 409 more words

Christian

The Power of a Smile

Cindy Dawson

Never underestimate the value of a person who can make you smile. Smiles are powerful. They evoke happiness, hope, and well-being. When you smile, you instantly feel better. A smile is a powerful thing that that can completely turn your day around.

Let me tell you about someone who always made me smile.

Mr. Galloway was an older gentleman in my church, whose job was to sit at the information desk on Sunday morning. But, he did a lot more than provide information. I didn’t know him well, but I looked forward to seeing him every Sunday.

When I entered the doors, he would look me straight in the eye, his head always crooked a little to the side, and with enthusiasm and a big smile say, “What-a ya know?”

This would always start a conversation, and even if I was running late (which I usually was), I would stay there and talk to him for a while, unable to pull myself away from all this attention.

“How’s your daughter?” he would ask with enthusiasm and genuine interest.

I would tell him about my daughter’s latest adventures. After all, who doesn’t want to talk about their kids?!

After a few minutes, I would drag myself off to where I was supposed to be. He never failed to brighten my spirits and put a smile on my face.

One Sunday morning, I came through the doors and no one was sitting at the information desk. Later, I found out that Mr. Galloway had suddenly passed away. I was shocked.

I couldn’t believe that someone so full of life, was suddenly gone. Even though I barely knew him, I cried when I found out. There is no one sitting there now. I don’t think anyone will be able take his place entirely.

What part are you in the Body of Christ? Even if you think you are only a small and insignificant part, you are necessary for the body to function properly.

The Bible says, “God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be …  Those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable” 1 Corinthians 12:18 & 22 NIV

I doubt that Mr. Galloway thought he was indispensable, but I did.

With Love, 

AA55AA1F-EA36-49A9-92BE-41FD67348618

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog

Photo by Kyle Loftus on Unsplash

Christian

Nobody Knows Science Like God Does

Cindy Dawson

I discovered the most amazing fact reading my Bible this morning! At first, it didn’t make sense. Normally, I would just skip over it and keep reading, but today I didn’t. After rereading it several times, I searched Google.

I didn’t expect anything useful to turn up, but I gave it a try anyway. But alas, I’m putting the cart before the horse, so let’s start at the beginning. (Genesis 30, paraphrased)

Jacob worked diligently for Laban for 14 years in order to marry Rachel whom he dearly loved. For many years after that, he continued to toil for Laban with all his strength. Laban cheated Jacob many times. After twenty years, Jacob asked Laban to allow him to return to his homeland with his wives and children.

Laban pleaded with Jacob to stay because he had prospered while Jacob tended his flocks. Laban said, “Name your wages and I will pay them.”

So Jacob said, “I will go on tending your flocks if you let me remove from your flocks every speckled or spotted sheep and goat and every dark colored lamb. They will be my wages. Then we will know which are mine and which are yours.”

Laban agreed, but that same day, Laban removed all the spotted sheep and goats and dark colored lambs from his flock. He put them in the care of his sons and separated them from the herds under Jacob’s care.

That was shifty. Now how will Jacob obtain his wages? The spotted goats and sheep have all been removed from the herd.

Obviously, Laban didn’t understand genetics because animals born with a dominant trait (pure white) can still have alleles for the recessive trait, in this case spotted or speckled.

In other words, Jacob didn’t have any spotted animals, but the solid animals could still reproduce a spotted baby. This is where the phenomenon comes in!

“37 Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. 38 Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, 39 they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.” Genesis 30:37-39 NIV

Much like my (almost) 3-year old granddaughter, I kept asking, “Why? Why? Why would he do that?” How could the peeled branches affect the color of the offspring?

I asked Google and the answer astounded me.

Recent scientific discoveries reveal that what a parent eats can also affect their genes, and therefore will affect their offspring’s characteristics. It’s not up to genes alone, like we once thought.

For example, “a study published in August (2003) in Molecular and Cellular Biology by Dr. Waterland and Duke’s Randy Jirtle showed that in a particular strain of mice, fortifying the pregnant and nursing mother’s diet with four nutrients shifted babies’ coat color from yellow to brown.”¹

These baby mice were genetically identical, yet a change in the diet of the pregnant and nursing mothers is the reason for the color change in the offspring. Incredible!

One of the nutrients fed to the mice was vitamin B12 found in (you guessed it) almonds!

Jacob placed the almond and other branches in the water whenever the strongest animals were there. That way the strongest animals gave birth to spotted babies. In this way, Jacob grew wealthy and owned large flocks.

Bible scholars believe the book of Genesis was written by Moses between 1446 and 1406 B.C. Today, scientists are starting to understand how diet can affect the color of an animal’s offspring. That’s incredible!

With Love, 

AA55AA1F-EA36-49A9-92BE-41FD67348618

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog 

Photo by Marguerite Rami on Unsplash

Sources:

¹Epigenetics may have many roles, BY SUE GOETNICK AMBROSE, Dallas Morning News 2 NOVEMBER 2003, Dallasnews.com

Genesis 29 and 30

Christian

Imagine Your Life Without Freedom

Cindy Dawson

Suddenly soldiers storm into your home and take by force all modes of communication (cell phones, TVs, radios, computers, iPads, all electronics). There is nothing you can do. They are armed with assault rifles and they’re looking for an excuse to use one. You have been cut off from the rest of the world.

If you are reading this, you are probably living in freedom. But what if tomorrow enemies invaded the city where you live and your freedom was stolen? Can you begin to imagine how your life would change?

Yesterday, I watched the movie The Hiding Place.  If you haven’t read the book and/or seen the movie, I encourage you to do it. The Hiding Place will inspire you to be the best Christian you can be.

The Hiding Place is a true story, which reveals the insidious horrors that took place within the walls of the notorious concentration camp, Ravensbruck.

After a fellow citizen betrays Corrie, Betsy, and their elderly father, Casper ten Boom for hiding Jews in their home during the Nazis occupation of Holland in 1944, the family is taken from their home and thrown into prison.

While imprisoned at Ravensbruck, Corrie and Betsy endured starvation, chilling cold, filthy, lice infested beds, inhumane over crowding, severe beatings, cruelty and more, yet they clung to their faith in Jesus Christ and shared it with those desperate for love.

Corrie said, “There is no pit so deep, that God’s love is not deeper still.” She spoke from experience.

As we celebrate the 4th of July here in the U.S., I hope we never take our country for granted. May we remember to thank God for this wonderful blessing called freedom.

With Love, 

AA55AA1F-EA36-49A9-92BE-41FD67348618

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog 

Photo by Kristina V on Unsplash

Christian

You Know We’re Running a Race, Right?

Cindy Dawson

As I walked along the cornfield, it was as if the corn was alive. I watched the acres of leaves moving back and forth in the breeze and I was mesmerized. The beauty of nature often takes my thoughts to the Lord and His Word.

This particular morning I was walking Henry and Bella. I noticed how different they are. Bella meanders. She takes forever to walk to the end of the sidewalk. I’m convinced that if she actually attempted to go somewhere, she would eventually end up right where she started! (Remember this later.)

Bella
Bella, the Meanderer

Henry is another story. He runs everywhere he goes! He is one  determined pup!

It made me think about my commitment to God. How am I “running the race”?

The writer of Hebrews said, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us …” Hebrews 12:1

Am I meandering along like Bella, or am I running like Henry?

IMG_0481
Henry, the Runner

Paul said, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24

This verse inspires me to earnestly embrace the mission (ministry) God has given me. (To run harder than anyone else!)

Whatever God calls us to do, it will require perseverance. Let’s start running!

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

With Love, 

AA55AA1F-EA36-49A9-92BE-41FD67348618

This is My Journey Unscripted.

Click this link to learn more about Jesus: Who Is Jesus?

realchristianwomen.blog 

1st photo Naassom-Azevedo, Unsplash