Guest Blogger: SOURCE - GOD OUR FATHER

Welcome to Women of Valour which is about

YOU

experiencing your freedom in Christ, being set free,

experiencing the love of God, and opening your blinded eyes
Isaiah 61: 1

 http://walkwithjesusonline.com/god-is-your-source/

Hello Women of Valour,

This blog was written by Michele Brown, one of our own Women of Valour. Please leave a comment! 

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Do we really appreciate:

•  each breathe we take
•  each morning we rise 
•  each night we lay our heads down 

Have we stopped to give thanks to the SOURCE-GOD our Father?

We thank the salesperson at the gas station (resource) but before approaching our purse/wallet we should have thanked the SOURCE. God our Father is the SOURCE who makes all the provisions for all that we need and have. 

Do we say thank you to our Father all the time? Probably not as often as we should. I’m going to speak for myself, I recognize that often I don’t do it enough. So after He wakes me up I decided to do my best to get it right. I praise and thank God so much for the little things now. 

Just recently a friend posted on social media that her 17 yr old son passed. I was devastated just imaging what her and her family were going thru. I paused and thanked God for the gifts he blessed me with in the 2 young men I’m raising as well as my beautiful free spirited grandchildren. 

It could have been the other way! This is the truth to YOU as well my friend reading this post. Keep reading...

About 2 months ago, God blessed me with a new car. In less than a week I was involved in an accident. After checking to make sure everyone was okay. I said a prayer with shaking hands to thank the Lord. The Source of my being and the author and finisher of my life. 

I thanked God for every resource he allowed me to have:

• income
• a loving family (even with the loss of my parents) 
• a sibling and child 
• shelter 
• food to eat
• wonderful church family
• the ability to give him praise 

because after all I am in my right mind. Can you relate? Keep reading...

I cannot move paralyzed, but since I have the ability to bend my knees and raise my hands I must give Him praise. Always and be thankful and bless His name for the Lord is great and greatly to be praised. Every moment is precious to me and so is My Creator. 

I never want to take my God or His love for me for granted. So, I just wanted to share. With all the demands I place on myself as well as obligations placed on me by resources. 

My resources are:

• employers
• school
• community organizations 
• yes even the church.

What are your resources that are pulling on you?

I realized I must spend time thanking and praising the Source- God, My Father - God, My Creator and My Lord and Savior. He is Good! No, HE is GREAT and as I shared before Greatly to be praised. 

Have a Jesus Joy Day!  
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Prayer: Holy Spirit, allow me to take the time out of each day to give praise to the Source - God My Father. Let me see as you have shown Michele that You are the Source who provides ALL of my resources. In Jesus Name. Amen!

Questions:

As you read Michele's words, do you now have a praise or thankful heart toward OUR SOURCE?

If yes, how do you identify with what Michele shared?

Leave a comment or email

Guest Blogger: NEVER DOUBT GOD

Welcome to Women of Valour which is about

YOU

experiencing your freedom in Christ, being set free,

experiencing the love of God, and opening your blinded eyes
Isaiah 61: 1

Hello Women of Valour,

This blog was written by Michele Brown one of our own Women of Valour. Please leave a comment! 

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I say that now...

But trust me there was times when I struggled. I didn't doubt God as much as I doubted the process. I had it all figured out in my mind how things should go. Not only did it happen completely different than I thought but timing was way off on many occasions. 

I can remember recently, I had big plans but God had plans and my plans did not align with his. Whose plans prevailed (God's) and that is because HE is in charge of everything and HIS plans are what's best for me. 

Often times, I can confess I stepped out of the will of God because I was a control freak, I had to be in control or so I thought. So God let me do it my way and when it failed and I went crying back to HIM, I apologized, HE forgave me and HIS perfect plan prevailed. It was just delayed because of my defiant behavior. It always goes so much smoother, when I let MY Father take control. 

Can anybody relate? Keep reading...

I was recently confronted with some not so good memories. The loss of a few people real near and dear to me. At the passing of each, I refused to cry or let any emotions flow, because I had to be strong and in control. On the surface it looked like I had it all together. Then the bomb dropped. I came home from work and saw on channel 13, Myrt Howerton. (She was my friend.) I laughed with my daughter saying what has Myrt done now? News came back on just to say...

 "Myrt Howerton dead at 59". 

What, how, it must be some mistake. I just talked to her a few days ago. Tears began to flow like Niagara Falls. I couldn't hold them back I had no, I mean NO control. The cry was even hysterical and snotty. Kleenex couldn't get in my hands fast enough. Every time, I thought about it I cried almost to the point of hyperventilating. 

Grief can take us some places we don't necessarily want to go! Keep reading...

Once I got some composure I wrote a poem to her to help relieve my grief. Weeks passed and periodically I would just start to cry. I finally talked to my sister who thought I needed counseling for suppressed  grief. I sought help at the Renaissance Center and had the best counselor in the world. The healing process could be felt after 6 weeks. I could now reflect back on my being in control and how I suppressed my  pain due to losses from death and relationships. 

Over and over I was able to see how if I had only placed things in the Master's hand it would have turned out differently for me. Yep it would have still hurt when my first real love died, my mother and father, but if I hadn't thought I was superwoman instead of trusting God I would have dealt with my emotions and heartaches immediately. Instead of burying them all and having a resurrection of sad memories erupt like a volcano when I least expected it. 

The uncontrollable emotions were being exposed as if I were on a bill board with super bright florescent colors. On the most sunny day of the summer, yes God allowed my weakness to be revealed. This was done  so I could lean on HIM and be healed. Yes, it was devastating BUT God knew what I needed and HIS timing is always perfect. I knew God wanted what was best for me and wanted me to relinquish my cares to HIM and let HIM lead me. 

Good News: 
I am no longer bottling up every emotion God gave me! But instead I am able to smile over the fond memories of those who I lost. I still cry occasionally when I really miss them. 

Just to think God took someone who kept me 

grounded and laughing to break me down 

so HE could build me up. 

What an awesome God I Serve! Have a Jesus Joy Day and let God be your strength!

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Prayer: Holy Spirit, allow ALL of us to see as you have shown Michele that You are the GOD who builds us up in the midst of our struggles and pain. In Jesus Name. Amen!

Questions:

Have you been the control freak who has to control EVERYTHING?

If yes, how do you identify with what Michele shared?

PERSPECTIVE AND FOCUS

Welcome to Women of Valour which is about

YOU

experiencing your freedom in Christ, being set free,

experiencing the love of God, and opening your blinded eyes

Isaiah 61:1

Hey Hey Hey Women of Valour, 

How are you doing?

What do you choose to focus on today? Do you choose to focus on the weather? Which is always CHANGING. Do you choose to focus on the problems in your life? Which will always come up. Do you choose to focus on the football playoffs? Which will have you up and down physically and emotionally. Do you choose to focus on Your Creator and Father? Who does not change. It is a choice only you can make for yourself. No one can do it for us. I am choosing to refocus!

Focus: 

1. center of interest or activity 
2. central point of attention 

Perspective: 

1. The way you see something
2. A way of thinking about something

Focus is what you choose to give your attention to. Where is your attention today, this week, this month, and this year? I would love to say mine was on God this week but I found myself focusing on my purpose and work. My focus can either lift me up or bring me down. As I am writing this post, I am choosing to refocus on my God who has the answers to the questions that I am trying to figure out. Whatever you are facing right now child of God HE has the answer to your questions as well. The longer you and I focus on our problems the BIGGER they become. Also the smaller God can seem in relationship to the problem. You and I have to make a choice to refocus our attention.

Perspective is your way of thinking about something. My perspective was that my purpose was too BIG for me to fulfill and am I making a difference on my job? I am asking God to reveal what my next step should be but I am also worrying about the next step. This is insanity. Why? Because I am supposed to cast my cares upon the Lord since HE cares for me. (I Peter 3:7) This is easier said than done sometimes. More like MANY times this is harder than it seems.

TESTIMONY: God reminded me of a real example of focus and perspective. As I flew to Georgia in August of last year, I was totally calm getting on the plane and it taking off. I knew that no matter what happened my trust was in Him. My focus was on Him not the plane or the pilot. My perspective or thought process was: "God has me in the palm of HIM hand right now in this moment." God shared with me that when we pray and praise HIM we are lifted above our problems/issues. Just like the plane taking off and soaring above the clouds/problems. We soar above our problems when we pray and praise HIM. When I landed in Georgia I was in a different place. When we come out of prayer and praise with our God we are in a different place. Our problems should not be gigantic anymore because we should have a different focus and perspective. We should be looking at it from God's perspective and with a godly focus. The problem should no longer be seen from our limited perspective.

As I look now at my purpose and job, I understand that my God will lead me and direct me to the people and places I need be. I just have to do my part of preparation. I must also continue to pray and praise HIM for HIS WILL to be done. This applies to each one of us. What is your perspective and focus on today? It could be a wayward child, death of a loved one, sick parent/child, job, marital issues, your purpose, etc. Woman of Valour, choose to refocus on Your Creator today. HE has EXACTLY what you need in this very moment.

This song helped me refocus. I pray it does the same for you. Listen to the words.

Link to Video:  https://youtu.be/6GGFb6LcX3U

Prayer: Holy Spirit, Help me to see things from Your perspective instead of my own limited viewpoint. Help me to refocus on You instead of myself or my problems. Open my eyes to see You and open my ears to hear You in the midst of my problem.

 QUESTIONS:

What are you going to focus on
as you walk though this new year? 

What is your perspective going to be as you walk through this new year?

I pray something you read touched your heart to walk closer to God. 

Please share a comment or Email me