“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today many of you will be taking advantage of great black Friday sales with just five Fridays till Christmas. Today some of you may be putting up and decorating a Christmas tree with just thirty days until Jesus’s birth. In this verse from Luke, the Angel is telling the shepherds of Jesus’s birth. He is bringing news that will cause great joy.

Evergreen trees keep their leaves all year long. They are a symbol of new life, hope, and eternal life. On this faith-filled Friday, I hope we can remember that Jesus is the true source of our everlasting joy. As we go about our day and the coming weeks, let’s look for the simple and ordinary things to remind us of the reason for the season. I encourage us all to worship with Thanks Giver by Crowder. Some of the lyrics sing, “You make joy out of simple and ordinary things. You fill life up with stories I’d never think to dream”. Will you allow God to fill your days with new faith-filled stories?

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” Psalms 34‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This verse from Psalms encourages us to taste and see the goodness of God. He desires us to be happy, full of His goodness and lacking nothing. What better day to cling to this verse than a day like today? We should all be able to find simple gratitude. In the above image from Ray we can see God’s beauty as He paints the sky. In the picture below we can taste the goodness that God provides for us.

My wonderful work family gifted me this beautiful fruit tray. Chocolate-covered fruit is a favorite of mine. In case your wondering, the turkey was a delicious chocolate-covered pineapple. Just like the detail in the fruit, God cares about every detail of our lives. In church on Sunday we sang; Amazing Love. I encourage you to listen to this version by Chris Tomlin. How can it be that God cares so much for you and me? How can we give back to God for His wonderful blessings? By extending His love and grace to others. By sharing His word and faithfulness. By taking delight in our days.

We pray everyone has a Happy and safe Thanksgiving from Water Walkers! Deborah, Ray, and I are so thankful for your continued support. God bless and may we all take delight in our day!

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.” Psalms 130‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Sometimes Water Walking means waiting. When we can’t see a clear path or hear from God, we may just need to dig deeper in His word. In the meantime, God wants to hear every detail from us. He desires our whole being to be in His presence. This includes specific prayer along with our concerns, desires, and joys. Just like we enter into an earthly marriage and our partner becomes our best friend, God desires to be our bridegroom.

Let’s choose today to make prayer a priority!

Lord, Thank you for being my best friend. Thank you for the hope that only you can offer. You know the desires of my heart and you also know what tomorrow holds. I pray for your favor and perfect will to be done. Give me the eyes to see the way and the heart to hear your word. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

As hard as it is, I encourage us to worship with, Not My Will by Stephanie Haavik

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Let’s face it, the holidays can be a stressful time of year. Whether it be financially, relationally, or logistically, somehow stress can creep in. We all have triggers that set us up, right? We must be alert to children fighting, the mirage of perfection, or even grief. In 1 Peter 5, we learn that the Devil likes to prowl. We may not have lions walking around but we do have alligators. My point is that the Devil can come in all shapes and sizes. We must resist the urge to be triggered to say or think unwanted, unhealthy words, or thoughts.

How can we stay on guard? Take in all the joys and don’t let anyone or anything steal them. Surround our hearts and minds with the love and word of God. Remember that perfection is a mirage and not really attainable. Life is too short to miss out on the wonderful blessings that Thanksgiving brings. What brings you joy over the holidays? Family gatherings, a grandmother’s recipe, the crisp air, Hallmark Chritmas movies? I encourage us to make a list of our joys so that when perfection doesn’t happen, we can count them.

Remember that in 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV, God provides a way; “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”‬

“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today is eleven days postoperative since I had my Hysterectomy. The surgery went as expected and as planned. God is good! Now I am just having to be patient with the slow healing process. As I have been sitting this week, I have enjoyed my longer quiet moments with God. It was a great reminder from Deborah all that I have to be thankful for.

Today I share with you my life verse from Philippians 1:6. As I look back over the last three years of my health journey, I am reminded of God’s goodness. I am encouraged by this verse and the positive outcome that God isn’t finished with me yet. This picture reminds me that my story is God’s story. Have you ever thought about how Jesus’s cross appeared to be larger as it was placed at the center? As we daily take up our cross, is Jesus larger than you? Is He at the center of your life to receive all the glory, honor, and praise?

With God in the center of our lives, may our Monday faith be as strong as our Sunday faith. May we all shine bright jesus’s light this week as we gather with family and friends. I encourage you to worship with Monday Morning Faith by SEU Worship and Chelsea Plank.

“Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As we start our Thanksgiving week and the busyness all the holidays bring, I want us not to forget to rest with God. I am guilty for not always honoring the sabbath. This verse doesn’t necessarily say, God blessed Sundays. It says God blessed the seventh day. Will you join me in making room for God and rest? Simply pick a day, every seventh day. If you can’t give 24 hours, give pockets of time for God and enjoy some rest.

With Thanksgiving being Thursday, there are a lot of food preparations being made. From planning to shopping, baking, traveling, and more. Like this picture, God is our rock. As we rest with him, we can renew our strength for the coming weeks. We read in Psalms‬ ‭18‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬ “I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Let’s make spending time of rest with god our favorite place and time of the week. I encourage you to listen to, Favorite Place by Kari Jobe
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“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Click the link, My Journey and join me for See You Saturday.

Each day has be something different about my HPV journey. If you missed one, I encourage you to go back and read;

Sunday’s post, Story Sunday

Monday’s post, Mindset Monday

Tuesday’s post, Transform Me In The Process

Wednesday’s post, Walk With God Wednesday

Thursday’s post, Trust Thursday

Friday, Finish Friday