Category Archives: Encouragement

Room For Redemption

redeemed

I remember walking in my counselor’s office broken, tattered and torn.  I was in a dark place and I told him that.  He listened to me share a lot of things I have done, many of which I was not proud of and suffering for.  I will never forget any of the words that he said to me especially on that day.  I was having a hard time coping with life, situations and everything inside me was in turmoil.
This is what he said:

Control your feelings
But don’t deny them
You are human
Give yourself room for redemption
Because we ALL need it!

I walked out of that room feeling like such a weight was lifted off my chest.  That was in December of 2013.  Sometimes we forget what Jesus Christ did for all humanity.  He died for ALL our sins which will encompass past, present and future.  He took our burdens to the cross and our sickness and shame.  Isn’t that what the word declares?  That is why Jesus said on the cross “It is finished” in John 19:30.  As humans, we always see from a human perspective and not from a spiritual and biblical perspective.  God sent His one and only Son for this purpose.   Continue reading


The Silent Prayer Works

A-Prayer-For-YouI love the life of Hannah in the book of 1 Samuel chapter one. You can reference this in verses 1-19, with a title, “Hannah Pours Out Her Heart to God”, in The Message Translation.  In this passage Elkanah has two wives, Hannah and Peninnah.  This becomes a story of rivalry where Hannah has no children and Peninnah has many.

I believe Hannah has such an amazing story that so many of us can relate to.  She has a prayer that all of us have prayed.  For some this is a prayer that they know often which is called “the silent prayer.”  That is the kind of prayer where there is such an anguish of soul that you really have no words to say but only a sound coming from you as a harmonious cry to God’s ears.  It is the type of prayer where you think you are not even heard and that is why you are crying all the more.  But I love how Hannah, this woman of God, makes such a decision for a turning point in her life.  Continue reading


God Chose You

ChosenTitleHave you ever asked God why He called you?  Maybe you feel inadequate or unqualified for the assignment.  You may think that you are not fit for the role of leadership, that you don’t meet all the criteria, perhaps too young or too old, inexperienced, something damaged or this constant struggle in life and don’t feel quite ready.  I am sure that David must have felt the same way in his walk.  I am sure that he did not feel as qualified to do anything most days.  But David did have the characteristics for great leadership even during the most agonizing, stressful and weakest points of his life.

1 Samuel 22: 1-5 states “David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam.  When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.  All those that were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him; and he became their leader!  About 400 men were with him.  From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me? So he left them with the king of Moab and they stayed as long as David was in the stronghold.  But the prophet Gad said to David “Do not stay in the stronghold.  Go into the land of Judah.”  So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.”  Continue reading


A Little Rain Never Hurt Anybody

committSpring has arrived and we are springing forward in life. Yet in all of this we will experience some “rain” in our lives. It may feel bad, look bad and cause us to shut in but this is GOOD for us because it allows us to replenish. So take the time within, during this rain to cover yourselves with the umbrella of God’s love and seek His strength.  We go through so many instances and occurrences in our lives and we hope for a better day and hope for some “spring” in our lives.  We long for some hope, some light or some release.  We have experience here in New York such a long winter waiting for spring to arrive.  Now the date indicates that spring is here but it sure doesn’t feel or look like it at all.  We know it is here but the cold of winter does not want to let up and it keeps trying to drag it’s way into our blooming season of spring.  And so the trials of life that we experience seem to be that same way, don’t they?   What should we do? Continue reading