Posted in Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged Christ carry your burdens, heavy load, Julie B Cosgrove, Julie Cosgrove, tired, Where did you find God today, worn on July 18, 2013| Leave a Comment »
If you feel beat by life’s waves, there is hope. Last winter when I was in a low spot, I heard this song over the car radio. I had to pull over. I sat on the side of the highway while cleansing tears let Christ flow back in and wash my worries into His lap.
Listen to the honest, heart-felt and hopeful song by Tenth Avenue North. Then fall to your knees and let Him carry the load.
Posted in Christian, Devotional, tagged Christ, hands and feet, Julie Cosgrove, the world, thick skinned, Where did you find God today on July 16, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Did you know our thickest layers of skin are on our hands and feet?
Evolutionists state it is because we once walked on all fours.
But, I think it is by God’s design because He wants us to be Christ’s hands and feet on the earth until He returns for His own.
Sometimes, in order to do that, you need to become pretty thick-skinned, while still remaining softhearted on the inside. You need to put yourself aside and become callous to comments, knowing that you are all about doing the Lord’s work, not the feeding of your own ego.
Jesus told his disciples, and He tells us, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.f you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” John 15:18-19
Yet He loved us all enough to stretch out His hands and feet upon the cross.
Your hands and feet are meant to be thick and calloused if they are constantly doing His work. So labor on, Christian. Toughen-up and be willing stretch them out for His sake, and for the sake of the lost.
Posted in Christian, Devotional, tagged Christianity, devotionals, Julie Cosgrove, legalistic, religion, Truth Media, Where did you find God today on July 14, 2013| Leave a Comment »
reblog from Truth Media –
“Our focus has become on legalistic doing: I must keep these rules and then I’ll be a good Christian. When we are doing this we’re treating Christianity like a religion. But vital Christianity is not a religion. It’s not a set of do’s and don’ts. It’s a new life in Christ, a new way of doing life.”
read more of Helen’s words of wisdom at http://powertochange.com/blogposts/2013/07/14/i-work-in-his-energy/
( get free devos like this in your email each morning by clicking the devo tab in the blue line on the above link page. In September- the men’s and women’s will merge into a shorter “Life Devotionals” with a different theme each month.)
Posted in Christian, Devotional on July 5, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Do you know someone who has done something terribly wrong? Maybe it is your teenager who was caught drinking or fooling around. Maybe it is someone you thought was a friend who has slandered you behind your back? Or it may be your husband who has crushed your heart with his harsh words in the heat of an argument. Now they come, head hung in shame. But inside, you are still smoldering. You are afraid if you open your mouth the volcano of emotions will erupt. What do you do?
Take a look at what Samuel did with the people of Israel.
“And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.” 1Samuel 12:20-24
First- call them back to God. (vs.20)
Second- instruct them to repent before God and change their ways. (vs 21)
Third – Assure them a that God will not forsake them if they go to Him with a contrite heart. (vs 22)
Fourth- and this is the biggie – reassure them that you will also never stop praying for them. Because to not forgive and to harbor ill feelings would lead you into sin. (vs.23)
Healing begins at the foot of the cross. If possible, go there together in prayer. But even if they will not yet come, you need to go. The Lord’s Prayer asks God to forgive us as we forgive others. Forgiveness is not condoning. You are not sweeping their bad judgment or hurtful acts under the rug. You are removing the negative, reactive emotions from your shoulders, the ones that are threatening to make you stumble as well, so you can lead them back into a right relationship with you and with God.
As Matthew West sings – it may be the hardest thing you do and the last thing on your mind, but pray to God to help you give what He gave to you on the cross – take a listen: (you can click to skip the commercial)
Posted in Christian, Devotional, tagged iChristian, Julie B Cosgrove, morning praise, Prasie God, prayer, Steve Rebus, thank God, Where did you find God today on July 1, 2013| 2 Comments »
reblogged from Steve Rebus- iChristian http://steverebus.com/2013/07/01/praise-god/#like-3600
What a great prayer to start off the day- every day!
Praise God for: mountains and oceans, planets and stars
Praise God for big things
Praise God for: seeds and spiders, petals and drops of dew
Praise God for small things
Praise God for: rolling thunder and the crashing waves
Praise God for loud things
Praise God for: a breath of wind and a whispered prayer
Praise God for quiet things
Praise God for: soaring eagles and hairy gorillas
Praise God for strong things
Praise God for: snowflakes and cobwebs – a tiny baby
Praise God for fragile things
Praise God for: the flash of lightening and a humming bird’s wings
Praise God for fast things
Praise God for: the growth of a tree and the erosion of cliffs
Praise God for slow things
Praise God for: the moon, the sun, other worlds
Praise God for far away things
Praise God for: the person sitting next to me, my own heartbeat
Praise God for close-by things
Thank you that though you are so big,
you become small enough to meet us here on earth
though you are so strong, you show your love in gentleness
though you are loud as thunder, you speak to us in the sound of silence.
Thank you that though you could be faster than the speed of light
You choose to walk at our pace and to hold our hand.
Amen!
Posted in Christian, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged celing fans, God's presence, He will never leave you, Hearing God, Julie Cosgrove, potter wheel, Where did you find God today on June 28, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Today, I heard a small grind, like the way phonograph needles would sound when they reached the end of a song on an old record player. A tree limb rubbing on my window screen? No… too constant. A weird brid call? No… ah, hah! It sounds as if it’s going in a circle. Yep, the ceiling fan.
That ceiling fan in my bedroom runs 24/7/365. In winter it pumps the heated air up and around the room. In summer, it is needed to force the air conditioned coolness over me in a refreshing breeze. Ahh – afterall, it is 104 degrees F out there today in North Texas.
Most of the time, I forget it is there. It keeps churning and doing it’s thing. I take it for granted.
In my life, I often don’t hear God. Yet His Spirit which dwells inside me is proof He is always there. Scripture says He will never leave or forsake me. Every once in a while, I hear Him grinding away at my attitude that needs adjusting, or shaping me for the next ministry He has in store for me, or molding me into the person He knows I can be. Like the potter at the wheel, He patiently works, whether I notice or not.
Lord, forgive me for the times I take Your loving mercy and grace for granted. Renew in me an awareness of You in my life so I may praise You more often. You are more than worthy, and I am nothing without You. Amen.
Posted in Christian, Devotional, tagged give thanks in al circumstances, Julie Cosgrove, Power to Change, thank God, thanksgiving on June 24, 2013| Leave a Comment »
From Helen Grace Lescheid –
“Why is thanksgiving so important? It acknowledges God in the situation.
When things go wrong the last thing we want to do is give thanks. But it’s the most beneficial thing we can do. Thanksgiving prepares the way for God’s salvation to come in…”
Read more of what Helen has to say at http://powertochange.com/blogposts/2013/06/24/let-thanksgiving-be-the-habit-of-your-life/
Posted in Devotional, Nature, tagged Creator, draw near, God listens, Julie B Cosgrove, summer solstice, Where did you find God today on June 21, 2013| Leave a Comment »
Today is the longest day of the year. It is the official beginning of summer. (Coulda fooled me. Here in my part of Texas, it’s been in the 90sF for several weeks already. That’s summer in my book!)
On Sunday will be the super moon- the time the full moon is the closest to the earth all year so it looks super-sized.
Many ancient pagan rituals evolve around these two events. Those cultures felt as if the gods were especially close during this time of the year, so it was the best time to summon them. Maybe they would listen.
But Christians have the Son year round, and for eternity. He’s the creator of the sun and the moon. Everyday is the longest day and every night is dispelled by the brightness of His love. We don’t have to wait for a certain time of year when He draws near. We have God’s attention whenever we lift our prayers and hearts to Him, and even when we forget to do so.
The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night. Psalm 121:5-6
Posted in Biblical, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged anger, don;t let the sun set on your anger, Ephesians 4:26, is being angry okay?, Julie B Cosgrove, righteous anger, Where Did You Find God on June 13, 2013| Leave a Comment »
You may be familiar with the passage in Ephesians 4:26 which says to not let the sun go down on your anger. It is often given as marital advice.
But, anger itself is not evil. The first part of verse 26 says: Be angry, and sin not, it doesn’t say to never be angry because that’s a sin.
So where does the sin part come into the picture? It is all in how you handle your anger. Anger that brews or broods can become toxic. In fact, the next verse, 27, says to give no opportunity to the devil. When we mull over our hurt and angry feelings like a cow chews its cud, that is like sending the evil one a personal invitation to come into our hearts and minds.
Anger doesn’t have to be a destructive emotion. It should be the catalyst that drops us to our knees, not fly off the handle. Righteous anger happens when something vehemently against the Word of God happens. When that anger rears up inside of you, it is a prompting by the Holy Spirit. It is a call to action – to pray, to peacefully protest, to speak truth. It is not a call to lash out, say things you will regret later, or hold a grudge. You can find God in the middle of your anger. In fact, you should.
So, go ahead – be angry. Righteous anger over being violated or robbed, or hearing about atrocities such as sex slavery and child trafficking should get your bile boiling. When someone hurts our loved ones, we should get riled. But, stop it there. Give it to God and let Him channel the anger according to His will. Remember that God is the one who has the right to judge others, not us. We are to forgive so we can be forgiven. Like separating the shaft from the wheat, we must ask God to separate our emotions from our anger.
And, if you are angry at God because you don’t understand why or how He could allow something to happen, that’s okay as well. Beat on His chest and scream like a two year old. That’s being honest and raw. God can take it. Just don’t turn away from Him. Ever. Give Him the chance to heal you, correct you or comfort you.
Be angry- that’s okay- but don’t turn it into a sin. Don’t let it separate you from the One who loves more than anything, or the ones who are trying to love you the best they can yet still manage to step on your feelings. Before the day is over, lay that anger in the hands of the One who knows the best way to handle it.
Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional, tagged abide in Christ, abide in Me, be constantly in His presence, Julie B Cosgrove, Powewr to Change, Where did you find God today, Word dwell amongst us on June 11, 2013| Leave a Comment »
We sat around our backyard fire pit. As we watched the stars come out we talked about how to walk our faith out on a day-to-day basis. We talked about what the Bible had to say about business ethics; raising kids; dealing with church politics or prickly people. At the end of many of our discussions our friend, Jerry would say, “It really all comes down to abiding.”
What would it be like to truly abide in Christ and His Word all the time?
Read more from Gail Rodgers at http://powertochange.com/blogposts/2013/06/11/fireside-wisdom/
Where Did You Find God Today? 