#fearlessly #waterwalkinggirls  by: Deborah Ard
Here is a little background information:
For those who don’t know, I am the daughter of a United Methodist minister. Therefore my family moved many times as I was growing up. In fact the longest we lived anywhere was 5 years. As a result of moving often, I always felt like an outsider, I was never part of the “in” crowd, I was never popular and I have always suffered from feelings of rejection. Now that I am an adult I am sure most of those feelings were misconceptions on my part and just how I perceived things.

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#create by: Deborah Ard
“In the beginning God created…” From the beginning, God has been the Creator of all. He created the heavens and earth, day, night, the sky, land, seas, vegetation, the sun, the moon, living creatures, and humans. Today God continues to create. I realized this last week during my prayer time. My requests were for changes within my spirit. In my Bible study I ran across Psalm 51:10
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

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#newthing #bigdreams by: Deborah Ard
Are you a dreamer? Are you a risk taker? Are you invigorated by new challenges? Usually Julie and I like to play it safe and follow the steps laid out in a logical order. Both Julie and I find comfort in the known. We like to follow a schedule. You might say we are somewhat predictable. However God likes to stretch us and challenge us into the unknown.

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#abide by: Deborah Ard
One way to abide with Christ is to be in prayer throughout your day. Many times we are intimidated by the thought of prayer because we think our prayers should be filled with fancy, big words. Simply put, prayer is talking with God. God wants us to talk with Him like we talk with one another. Talk with Him about your day. Talk with Him about the things that excite you. Talk with Him about the situations that concern you. Ask Him for help. Ask Him for direction. Thank Him for His presence. We can be in conversation with God through prayer all through our day. It only takes a moment to call out the name of Jesus for help, comfort or peace. His Holy Spirit is always with us to guide and direct us. God wants us to be intentional about praying and talking with Him throughout our day. He wants us to walk closely with Him.

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#dailyhabitroots by: Deborah Ard

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”             Colosssians 2:6-7 NLT

I want to be healthier. To become healthier I need to eat healthy foods and exercise. I can’t just eat healthy and exercise for only one day. I need to do it consistently. To become consistent at eating healthy and exercising I need to consciously and intentionally develop habits that support the goal of being healthier.  Likewise, I want to plant seeds for Christ so I need to consciously and intentionally develop daily habits to support that goal.

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#shedlight by: Deborah Ard

Has anyone asked you to help “shed light” on a situation? What were they looking for from you? Ultimately they were asking you to make something less confusing or to clarify. As a Christian we are constantly “shedding light” on what it means to be a Christian. Others are always watching to see how we act and react in everyday life situations. Sometimes we are successful in showing others the light of Christ when we are in the middle of circumstances. But sometimes our actions and reactions show darkness.  

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#newsflash #lifeishard by: Deborah Ard
I am sure that is not news to you. It certainly isn’t news to me. As life goes, we have many ups and downs. Sometimes we seem to walk through a valley for a long season but praise God we then have mountain top highs to lift us up. I can say that with hope and assurance because God has brought me through many trials and victories. I can say that with confidence because I have a relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As a result, He puts all the trials and tribulations into perspective for me. When I am down He lifts me up. When I feel hopeless he gives me hope.

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