I Go To Prepare A Place For You

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:1-3

Jesus Christ did not go away and forsake us, He is preparing a place for us in Heaven and will come again and receive the child of God and take us up to heaven so we can dwell with Him and God forever. "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:17,18

To all of us who believe this scripture is comforting and reminds us that when this life is over we have the promise of eternal life with Jesus.

Love in Christ,
Tera

The Pattern Of Our Lives

My momma was a seamstress and could sew anything beautifully. Many times when I was younger, she would lay out a pattern over the material and cut out a new dress for me. The pattern was a guide to show her where to cut and also what was the front, the back, the sleeves, etc. I remember one time she cut where she was not supposed to, and my dress became a sleeveless dress instead of one with sleeves. It was fine with me, but it really upset her that she had made a mistake.

I started thinking about the pattern of our lives and how we make mistakes all the time. Even though we have been taught right from wrong, the good and the bad, and we have the Bible as our guide, we still make mistakes. Life is all about our actions and reactions, our choices and good works.

"In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works..." Titus 2:7.

Being an example of Jesus, doing good deeds, encouraging, and sharing God's goodness everywhere we go, and in all we do, should be the pattern of our lives.

Love in Christ,
Tera

The Fields Are White And Ready To Harvest

While traveling this past weekend, I looked over and saw these beautiful fields of white cotton, and I was reminded of this verse. "...Lift up your eyes, and look on the field; for they are white already to harvest." John 4:35. Those white, beautiful fields did not get that way by themselves. A farmer had to plant, labor and care for those fields. He cultivated the land, planted, irrigated, and watched over them for months. When the crops are ready, he along with many other people will work and harvest the fields. The farmer does not want any part of the crop to be lost.

Jesus had one purpose on this earth, and that was to teach and save the lost. When Jesus spoke those words in John 4:35 to His disciples in Samaria he had just had the conversation with the woman at the well and had seen and heard how receptive she was to what He had to say. Jesus had taken the time to share the gospel, to plant a seed, with one woman and now so many more were coming to hear what He had to say and be saved. The fields were white and ready for harvest (people were prepared to listen to the gospel) they just needed someone to tell them.

As a Christian, we need to share the gospel wherever we go. The fields all around us are white and ready to harvest. Will you plant a seed today?

Love in Christ,
Tera

Jesus Does Not Cast Stones

There is a story in John 8:1-11 where the Pharisees brought a woman that was caught in adultery into the temple to condemn her. They wanted to expose her sin before Jesus and everyone and because the law of Moses commanded stoning for such an act that is what they wanted to do to this woman.

The men brought her to Jesus. And Jesus said unto them, " He that is without sin among you, let him cast a stone at her." You probably could have heard a pin drop at this point. If one of those men picked up a stone claiming they were innocent of sin, the other men (accusers) would probably speak up and say something. I think Jesus was saying, Stop judging! None of you are perfect or without sin. So, being convicted themselves, they left one by one, beginning with the oldest, until there were only Jesus and the woman left in the middle of this crowd. Jesus turned to the woman and said, "Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."

What a beautiful scripture. Jesus was the only person that could have condemned the woman, but He didn't. He showed compassion, forgiveness, and grace to her even though she had sinned. He does the same for us. Jesus does not cast stones. He comes to save us not condemn us. 

Love in Christ,

Tera   

DO NOT DISTURB!

We have all seen a Do Not Disturb sign. You can find this sign hanging on a door in hotels, work cubicles, kids rooms, bathrooms, and you can even enable one for your iPhone. There are cute ones, funny ones, serious ones, but they all mean the same. DO NOT DISTURB!

I don't know about you, but I would love to have one for satan. He is always interrupting and disturbing me and my thoughts and doesn't care what time it is, where I am, or what I am doing he still interrupts. To be able to turn him off, and silence him would be awesome!

Unfortunately we cannot hang a Do Not Disturb sign around our neck, but we can "put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." which includes one vital and offensive weapon "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."

Being strong in the Lord and reciting the Word of God will enable us to fight off any attacks from satan and come out of it with a victory!

(The Whole Armour of God- Ephesians 6:10-18).

Love in Christ,
Tera

When You Feel A Little Prayer Wheel Turning

This old hymn speaks to me. Have you talked to Jesus today?  

I once was lost in sin, but Jesus took me in
And then a little light from heaven filled my soul
It bathed my heart in love and wrote my name above
And just a little talk with Jesus made me whole

Sometimes my path seems dreary without a ray of cheer
And then the cloud about me hides the light of day
The mists in me rise and hide the stormy skies
But just a little talk with Jesus clears the way

Refrain:
Now let us have a little talk with Jesus
Let us tell Him all about our troubles
He will hear our faintest cry
He will answer by and by
Now when you feel a little prayer wheel turning
And you know a little fire is burning
You will find a little talk with Jesus makes it right

You will find a little talk with Jesus makes it right Makes everything right

Love in Christ,

Tera

Silence And Solitude

How many of us would love to have a few hours of silence and solitude? I am talking about complete, uninterrupted silence? What if we had 24 hours of silence? Where would our thoughts go? Would we or could we rest? Would it calm us or make us agitative? Would we love it or hate it?

Because of this crazy world we live in today, we all need a little silence and solitude in our lives. It is important. A time to clear our thoughts and be still and quiet so we can hear God's voice and only  His voice speaking. We have so many things going on in our heads that distracts us and brings discouragement and weariness. Rest can help get us back in tune with God. "Be still, and know that I am God." Psalms 46:10

The Bible tells us that Jesus loved times of silence and solitude. "And He (Jesus) withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed." Luke 5:16
Jesus often wanted His disciples to spend time in silence. "And He said unto them (disciples), come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while..." Mark 6:31

Ask God today to help you find time for a little silence and solitude in your life. A time to rest and refresh our minds, hearts, and souls.

Love in Christ,
Tera

God Is For Us!

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31
What a comforting verse to claim every day! If this doesn't encourage you, I don't know what will.

If and since we are in Christ and He is our Savior then we have God on our side. He is for us. He will protect us. He will fight for us. Is anyone bigger or more powerful than our God? No! There will always be those that think they are and will be against us no matter what. Who cares? God is for us!

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalms 27:1
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"Romans 8:35

We all have problems, trials, and tribulations. We just need to remember God IS for us. We are His people. He loves us and will take care of us.

Love in Christ,
Tera

I Don't Know How Much More I Can Take!

Most of us have said today's title and probably more than once! The word 'more'  could be described as work, kids, aging parents, spouses, home life, relationships, our health, anything that becomes a trial.

Trials come in all shapes and sizes and at any given time. They don't call us up and ask if we are ready for one. Some surprise us and usually come when our plate is already full from other trials. Some are not as bad as we think and then some are devastating. We have all heard the saying and have said it to others going through trials "God will not give us more than we can handle." This statement is not biblically correct. The truth is God never promised that He would not give us more than we can handle but He did promise that He would be with us through the trial providing help and strength.

Psalm 121:2 "My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth."

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

The next time our thoughts lead us to "I don't know how much more I can take." Remember this.
We are not alone, and we can do all things through Christ who helps us and gives us strength.

 Love in Christ,
Tera

Memories

Our lives are made up of all kind of events, things, family, friends, and vacations which turn into memories, right? If you are a golden-ager, we can pretty much say we have seen a lot and done a
lot and (speaking only of myself) can't remember most of it.

There have been things that have happened that is beautiful and heartwarming then there are some things that are ugly and heartwrenching, and we just want to forget. Life is always going to be full of blessings and blunders, the good, the bad, and the ugly. When we begin thinking of those rough days, and stuff that we would like to delete from our memory bank we need to remember how faithful our God is and all of His blessings that He has given us.

Proverbs 10:7a "The memory of the just is blessed..."

Overall our memories are precious and will be remembered when we talk about them and share them with others. Reminisce about your memories and make more every day!

Love in Christ,
Tera

Lingering Anger

Anger or wrath is an intense negative emotion and can occur when a person feels their boundaries are being violated.

A life that is trying to live righteously and abide by God's Word cannot have lingering anger and be happy. It hardens our hearts and opens the door for satan. We cannot hold bitterness in our minds, souls, and hearts. It is a dangerous emotion that will continue to cause hurt and pain to ourselves and to the other person if we do not identify it, forgive and let go of it. 

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians 4:31, 32.

Ask yourself WHY am I angry? At WHOM am I angry? WHAT caused me to become angry?

If you can identify the source, please take the time today to forgive. Ask God to remove the bitterness and start living a life of grace, kindness, and peace.  

Love in Christ,

Tera

Our Prayer Of Faith

Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory! O glorious victory that overcomes the world!

There are many times we feel our faith is being tested. It is. Our prayer of faith requires discipline and sometimes lots of it! We believe in His Word, we believe in God, we believe that He is sufficient. We know God is working, we see His Hand in our situation so why do we doubt?

When we start thinking and doubting that God is not working we need to look back on all the times He has worked in our lives and all the victories He has done for us in the past. We put our faith into action and completely give it over to Him. He is much bigger than us and our problem!

Our prayer of faith will become our praise of faith when we put our trust in the One that loves us and wants to give us that victory.

Love in Christ,
Tera

Speak With Grace

There are so many times we speak before thinking. We all know that words can build us up or break us down. Each person we come in contact with every day is important, and we should speak and respond to them with kindness and with grace.

"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." Colossians 4:6
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." Ephesians 4:29

We need to remember that our tongue is powerful. I have always said, "we speak what we think."  Each one of us knows that can be good and bad. A person with a kind heart will speak words of kindness and goodness. A person with an unforgiving, bitter heart, may speak words of meanness.

Our words should be an encouragement and we should speak with grace. Ask God to help us control what we say and to guard our lips. I love this verse. "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." Psalm 141:3

Love in Christ,
Tera

Rest and Restoration

Stress. Fatigue. Weariness. Overworked. All of these are reasons for Rest and Restoration. We need to be refreshed and energized from time to time even if it is just for a few hours or minutes.

Each of us has breaking points. If you don't, you are one blessed individual! God knew we would need encouragement and we can find it in His Word. If you are exhausted and maxed to the limit, there are scriptures we can go to for restoration. Here are just a few.

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Matthew 11:29

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Galatians 6:9

Father, help us to take the time today to bask in Your love and scriptures. Calm us. Help us, O God, to bring into captivity every thought that is robbing our time and our joy. Let Your peace and Your Words refresh our bodies, minds, and souls. In Jesus name. Amen

Love in Christ,
Tera

Are Our Priorities Out Of Order?

There is a story in Luke 10:38-42, where Jesus had stopped by to visit His closest friends. The place was home to sisters Mary and Martha. I think Jesus found peace and rest in their home.

At this setting, Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet, relaxed and listening to all He was saying. She was enjoying being near Jesus and was taking it all in. Martha, on the other hand, was busy, and very focused. She was worrying over many things. Her priorities were in the kitchen working on dinner and had probably worked all morning cleaning and preparing for Jesus' visit. She was more concerned about the details and priorities that she missed something a lot more important which was enjoying the time with Jesus.

Sometimes we are like Martha. We become so wrapped up in our busyness, worries, and thoughts that we miss time with Jesus. We lose our joy and peace. Our priorities are out of order. There is one thing Jesus seeks from us, and it is spending time with Him and listening to His voice.

Are your priorities out of order?

Love in Christ,
Tera

Always Count Your Blessings

God blesses us daily with blessings. When we are discouraged, burdened, broken, or feeling alone, we need to take the time to count our blessings. It will surprise you and brighten your day with what all the Lord has done! I love this sweet old hymn it is full of truth.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. 

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

Refrain
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Have you counted your blessings?

Love in Christ,
Tera

When We Finally Let It Go

All of us remember the song "Let It Go" from Disney's 2013 movie Frozen. The song talks about being weary and restless with yourself and your problems and blocking out the people who want to help you by turning away from them.

How many of us are weary and restless with ourself and our problems? Is our problem keeping us from living a victorious life? Are we blocking out God who is our Helper? Are we living in a fairy tale thinking everything will be ok...one day? Are we happy and content? Is our problem even about us or have we involved ourselves with someone else's problem?

It takes strength and courage to step away from situations that we have become a part of but if it is causing hurt and weariness to us, then its time to step aside. When we finally let it go, God shows us how we can care, but not be in control, how we can be an encourager but not an enabler, and how we can love with even greater love.

Love in Christ,
Tera

Who is Your Counselor?

We go to all these different counselors and sources for just about everything. We talk to those that can help us financially, those that can help us with diet and nutrition, we go to those that can help us get into shape physically, and those that can help us deal with life without having a nervous breakdown. If it's not a person we go to for help, then we go to the internet. Right?

What if we went to God each day as our Counselor? He knows all we are going through and can give us the peace, wisdom, and clarity we need to face anything we have to face. His Word is full of scriptures that can direct us and shed light on our path each day. Let God be our source. He can and will help us make the right decisions and the right choices in all areas of life.

"...And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6
"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." Psalm 32:8

God's counsel and wisdom are always right. He can put our life back into perspective. Isn't that what life is all about?

Love in Christ,
Tera

Forgiveness is Refreshing

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see. I praise You, Lord, over and over for saving my soul. Thank You for forgiving me and taking me back.

Do you feel like your life has no direction? There's no joy and peace in your life? Maybe you feel like the prodigal son that left his family and wanted to live a life of sin but then realized and recognized that living a wild and sinful life was not at all what he thought it would be. He became humbled and wanted to go home and ask for forgiveness. His father did receive him back with open arms.
(Full Prodigal Son Story-Luke 15:11-32)  

God sent His only Son to save us, not to condemn us, but to save us. He gave us the beautiful gift of eternal life with Him. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

No matter what we have done, how distant we have become from God, He still loves us and will receive us back with His loving, open arms. We have all sinned. We ask for forgiveness, and He forgives us. He loves when His people return to Him. Heaven rejoices also!

Love in Christ,
Tera