MaggieBelle

Beloved–

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.  Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.  (from 1 Peter)

When I heard, “He is out of surgery, it went well, he is OK.”  I didn’t realize that I had been holding my breath.   I thought I had been “casting all my cares on him” and telling him that I was trusting his plan not my own.  It turns out I was entertaining the enemy.

I pray for you daily that you recognize the enemy in the midst of pain or joy.  So stay in the Lord’s word, trusting and praising the God who is … Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

Luv Ya!

Beloved–

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.  … And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple … (from 1 Peter)

I received 2 bouquets of flowers.  To avoid showing preference one over the other I decided to put the bouquets together in one vase.  I chose to mix the colors to display each flower to its best advantage; there were 2 red flowers to make a vocal point.  I cut their stems shorter and pulled off all their leaves so that they would fit perfectly in the center of the arrangement.  Both bouquets decorated my heart with much joy.

I pray for you everyday so that when your stems are cut shorter and all your leaves are pulled off, you can rejoice that you are fitting perfectly into the plan, praising the God who is … Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

Luv Ya!

Luv Ya!

Beloved–

Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.  (from Proverbs)

“I spoke without thinking,” I said  to myself; trying to excuse my outburst.  Then my prayer: “Oh Father, why do I always do that?”  Then I knew I had lied to myself.  I had already been entertaining my negative opinion on the subject for some time.  It wasn’t until voicing my thoughts out loud that I knew I had never examined any other point of view.

I pray for you daily that you keep your heart (thus your thoughts) centered on the God who is …. Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Luv Ya!

Beloved–

The Lord is my shepherd;  I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows;  he leads me beside peaceful streams.  He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.  Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.  Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.  You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil.  My cup overflows with blessings.  Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord  forever.  (from Psalm)

Some days all you can do is praise the God who is … Father. Son and Holy Spirit; trusting his word, knowing you are loved and safe.

Luv Ya!

Beloved–

The following was written by Michele Estill, wife to pastor Dennis Estill Jr. and worship leader at their church in El Cajon, California.  She, also happens to be my beloved daughter.  

Ash Wednesday 2017

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of lent; and if you do not have any experience or prior knowledge regarding the Catholic faith, you might not know what it is.

Today, Catholics around the world go to mass to have ashes placed on their forehead in the sign of the cross.  This an atoning for your sins. Lent is a period of 40 days in which we “join” Christ as he was tempted in the garden of Gethsemane.  For the next 40 days people generally give-up something that they cherish: chocolate, TV, coffee, meat, and much more.

However, Catholics do not have the corner on the market of Ash Wednesday.  Christians (those who follow Christ, which Catholics do as well) can partake of this very meaningful experience called lent.

Lent is not really about giving up of something tangible, but of giving up what our heart desires.  Lent is about a circumcision of our heart (Romans 2:29).  Reaching for your coffee, something sweet, or even reaching to turn on the TV should serve as a reminder of the sacrifice Christ made on our behalf. He gave up everything so that we might be able to have everlasting life.  

Let’s be honest, Christ doesn’t care about coffee, chocolate, or watching TV; He cares about our heart, which is the truest picture of who we are (Proverbs 4:23).  He cares that we examine our motives and work towards aligning our hearts towards Him.  God seeks community with us that we might be able to experience His redeeming power in our lives!

This lent season, choose to give up something you love to do like eating chocolate, drinking coffee, watching TV, gossiping, doubting, or even choosing yourself above others.  Man looks at outward appearances, but God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

Happy Ash Wednesday!  May you see God transform your life this lent season!

Praise the God who is … Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

Luv Ya!