Judging Criticism!

Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. (Jas. 4:11)

The act of judging others is a thought that seeps in without warning, which in itself leaves danger lurking in the midst. But to act on this judgment brings criticism into the picture and takes this trap to another level entirely. In other words, it announces my judgments to those around me, leaving myself exposed to my own demise.

These announcements may be revealed in any number of ways. A sly statement made on another’s behalf, the agreement with someone else buying into their judgment, or even a critical look thrown in the direction of an unassuming victim. All of these acts reveal a weakness in me that removes God as my ultimate authority, and leaves me open to His ultimate criticism.

I pray as these unwelcome judgments seep into my thoughts, I have the awareness to dismiss them instantly, removing any and all power they have to transform into the criticism of others, no matter the means by which they manifest.

May God bless you and give you Grace!

Failing Expectations!

So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny. (Job 23:14)

When frustration sets in, the cause usually lies in the failure of my expectations. This swells my blaming nature into target practice searching out prey, and the injured victim is inevitably me. My pride, ego and self-worth take a direct hit, which leaves me in disarray trying to catch my spiritual balance.

Job was frustrated with God because the results of his circumstance were failing by what he expected from God. He was determined that he deserved favor from God and questioned His wisdom by not observing his loyalty. In the end, Job surrendered in the presence of God realizing with all His power there is purpose in all He allows.

I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. (Job 42:2)

As this sinks in, I begin to understand that the timing of my surroundings are not in my control, and what I expect to happen does not fall within my boundaries. If I observe what takes place and allow Gods timing to fulfill expectations, my dissatisfaction does not occur. I am learning to accept the fact that there is purpose in all things. I believe God allows the unexpected to take place to strengthen our spirit, and pull us closer to Him. With my situation, I am in the midst of experiencing that very attraction.

May God bless you and give you Grace!

My Selfish Ways!

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. (Luke 9:23)

Throughout my journey there have been many times I’ve allowed myself to become focused on self, which threw distance between me, and everyone else. This tunnel vision blinded me and took all opportunity for growth out of the picture. This may have been as trivial as taking the last cookie reserved for another, or as severe as not speaking the truth to save myself from the shame I would endure. No matter how grave the act, the effect it would take on my soul carried the same weight.

This selfish behavior brings isolation to the foreground, and thrusts the love of others to the shadows. The result then has a progressive effect on my relationships and pushes God further away with each occurrence. I know this to be true and realize the further I push God away, the harder He is to reach for. To dismiss these ego driven tendencies would be to shorten this gap, bringing God within my grasp.

As I read and study the Word of God daily, this self-centered attitude has gradually fallen away. I have found myself willingly stepping aside or stepping up without hesitation. I have witnessed the courtesy of others more often than I have in the past. More vital than anything, my strengthened relationship with God has me looking to His Spirit residing within me rather than grasping for Him at arms length.

I pray that my unselfish ways continue to grow, and as opportunities arise to breakthrough the layers of ego driven tendencies, I have the courage to push them aside to make way for a selfless spirit.

May God bless you and give you Grace!

The Good Samaritain

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. (Luke 10:33-34)

Early last year as I was on my commute home from work, and I ran into a bit of a traffic jam. This normal occurrence is just part of the daily grind I experience on my travels in the Houston area; I had become oblivious to my surroundings. As far as stalled vehicles and their possessors…they just added to the inconvenience. On this particular day, I was almost to my final destination, when one of these inconvenient time eaters emerged. As I crawled along the pavement at a lingering pace, the source of the gridlock was revealed. An incapacitated vehicle with its female owner, cell phone in hand, became the answer as to the delay.

As I followed suit and drove on by as the other passers by, I was struck with the notion that I should stop and assist this damsel in distress. But, my time sensitive self, being on the way to nowhere rationalized it as unnecessary; she will work it out somehow I thought to myself. As I got home shortly there after, this act of ignore-ance, weighed on my heart and I needed to some how resolve it. I confessed it to a group of friends hoping that would act as my repentance and left it at that.

A few weeks ago, I ran into the mirror image of this scenario on my way to work. Well, as a good little commuter, I again followed suit and drove on by. Yet, this time God spoke to me, and flashed the previous incident into my thoughts. I immediately turned around to give my assistance. I thought to myself, I’m not a mechanic; hopefully she just needs gas or a simple jump. I approached her as she is now out of her car, and standing on the side of the road. I asked her if she was out of gas. She said, “I’m not sure, it just stalled and the keys are stuck in the ignition.” So, I went to try, and the car miraculously started up with no problem and I pulled it to the side of the road. It was as simple as that.

God was letting me know here that being a Good Samaritan is a simple act that just takes willingness. I know there are other more involved acts of kindness, but this shows me if I follow my heart, and listen to what God is telling me, that being thoughtful and considerate becomes effortless.

May God bless you and give you Grace!

The Prosperity of God!

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. (1 Tim. 6:6-7)

My journey has brought me to understand certain things, which prior to coming to my proverbial fork in the road inhabited my thoughts, more than my heart. I failed to realize the depth of where true prosperity lies.

There have been numerous occasions in my past, in which pacifying a void resulted in me needing more possessions. The initial rush of this filler just prolonged the inevitable. This cycle would continue, causing me to lose sight of what caused the onslaught. The idea of having more or keeping pace with the tempo that surrounded me became impossible to sustain. Whether accumulating possessions for actual comfort or to maintain some facade of status, doesn't matter in the end.

There is nothing wrong with living well and acquiring the comforts of life. I just need to be careful that I do not allow this to define who I am…all of these things are temporary. I have learned to become very content in my current state, realizing there is no possession I could obtain to replace my sorrow. God is the only comfort that consistently lifts this burden from my heart.

My true prosperity lies in my faith. God is abundant! He is my constant comfort that came with me into this world, and will be there when I go home.

 
May God bless you and give you Grace!

Broken Promises!

…You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord. But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. (Matt. 5:33-34)

It has been simple for me to this point of my journey to be self-indulgent. This is to say my concern was focused on myself ahead of others, somehow developing the illusion I was more significant. This has led to isolation in some areas of my life leaving me to wonder why.

The one area that has been prominent with me this past year is the all encompassing power of prayer. Not the individual prayer I reserve for myself, but the focused, targeted prayer I extend to others in need. There was a time that I would extend the gracious act of prayer for individuals in crisis, or had a burden on their heart. My intentions were completely genuine at the moment this vow was offered. Time would then alleviate this offering from my “to-do” list and the extended prayer would never take flight.

My fulfillment in this powerful act has taken on a different routine in my recent journey. I now understand that the paths by which these selfless opportunities come to me are not by happenstance. These moments take me out of self and bring me closer to Christ. In fact, I’m sure Christ has placed them within my course to do just that. I now take more efficient mental notes or stop in the moment to reflect and pray for the cause at hand. It is a private act and to myself, or at times it may be vocalized within a small group.

These vows are promises to Christ that I will lift others up in times of need. I never related not following through with these acts as breaking a promise to God. But I have come to realize this to be true. I am allowed to say no to these selfless offerings, but if I say yes…I need to follow through with reverence.

May God bless you and give you Grace!

A Change of Heart!

Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. (2 Cor. 7:9)

The New Year brings with it the renewing idea of change. Change the way we eat, the way we exercise, handle our finances, attend church, and so on. There is a reverent attitude that the New Year brings that motivates us to change. This inner dialog of commitment has me observing the change I have experienced which continues to transform me.

The sorrow that landed on my heart last year propelled the change that I continue with. This inner transformation was a choice, and it could have gone in any number of directions. I could have chose to wallow in my grief, become a victim, and allow God to be the blame. There was also the option to go numb and medicate the emotion, losing all sense of reality. Then there was the option to search out God for comfort and understanding.

The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die. (Ps. 116:15)

As I fell to the option to search out God, I have come to KNOW that He weeps along with me. This KNOWING has brought an inner change that is necessary for me to grow and witness how God works around me in all situations. The blessings I have been in tune with and realized, have always occurred, I just failed to notice or brushed them aside as coincidence. This change in my heart has opened my eyes to these blessings as Gods interaction in all things.

I will continue to seek the change that God has planted in my heart. I know as time goes by, the change that I have today will continue to transform me and I will have a greater perspective of Him tomorrow.

May God bless you and give you Grace!

Reflected Blessings

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. (Eph 1:3-4)

As I reflect upon this past year my heart is filled with a barrage of emotion. There is the obvious sadness and grief at the loss of my precious Angel Girl, which has had an unfailing pull on my soul. But there are several other areas that warrant some honest reflection.

My faith has led the charge and has grown stronger than I could ever imagine. The daily dialog and prayer I seek carries me and eases the unsettled times I encounter. This devotion has truly ignited trust and comfort within my spirit.

The love of my life has found yet another avenue to which I have fallen for. Our interaction and conversation has taken on a whole new course of honest intimacy. This in turn has carried through to our whole family dynamic and has entrusted a God centered home that extends far beyond our humble walls.

The friendships I have forged have been some of the most sincere encounters I have had to this point in my journey. These new relationships have strengthened my spirit more than they know, and I hope they will continue to be part of my life. There has also been a renewing of recent and past acquaintances that have shed a renewed light in my soul. I pray that as you have lifted me up and mentored me, that I am able to respond with equal reverence.

My sadness rest in the notion, that the loss of my baby girl is the source of all of this wonder. It is the gift she has brought me in her absence. I pray these blessings would have eventually found their way despite this unforeseen sorrow. God knows the truth in this and with His graceful wisdom; I know He will allow this truth to settle in my heart in His perfect time. 

I trust that this past year has brought you the blessings you sought, and the coming year brings you the prosperity of faith that will fulfill all of your endeavors.

May God bless you and give you Grace!

The Challenge of Faith

We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) (Rom. 8:24-25)

A good friend of mine has a teenager that is challenged with the wonder of Asperger's. This in turn throws challenge in the direction of both him and his wife, and when faith enters the picture it takes this challenge to the extreme.

You see, their son is extremely bright and a believer in Christ. But, he is also highly analytical and has a tendency to need concrete answers. This is where the challenge lies. He has determined that the all-knowing God creates evil by not stopping evil. The fact that the arrival of Christ, the reception of His arrival, and His crucifixion was set in place by God, confirms to him that God knows and controls all. The knowledge of these predestined events falls to our path and us. Knowing God has this control, removes the option for free will in his eyes. He continues his argument with various evil entities that have shadowed this worlds history. If God knows these things are to happen, why does He allow people of this realm to be born if they are doomed and will never have a chance to receive His mercy?

My response is to say that it is difficult to explain faith on an analytical level. My faith rest in my heart even though there are still times when I question the actions of God. I do believe that God knows all and we do not. So, in our scope, we do have a choice or the free will to steer our path even though God already realizes our outcome. This is what makes it our journey. It is how we handle our earthly experiences that propel our growth or our demise. Even sinister evil may repent in the end and if true repentance rest in the heart, forgiveness is at hand.

I do know that a consistent, simple, sincere prayer for awareness and guidance is the key to bringing this truth into the heart. Once there is a twinkle of this truth, grasp it, and it will blossom and grow.

May God bless you and give you Grace!

The Choice to Choose

Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. (Rom. 6:16)

As I lie at night and reflect on my day, I realize the many choices I could have made could alter my path as to where and how I rest. This passage is referring to our choice to obey God or become a slave to sin. I can also read it to mean…choose to follow God and allow Him to carry you out of despair.

To take this further, despair can lead to desolation and gloom. When I find myself in this hopeless state, my mind tends to wander into what ifs, whys and if onlys. These thoughts turn into blame, and blame gets me nowhere, which leaves sin just around the corner. This is where I need to refocus my path back to God, and realize that this despair is only temporary and God is the one true constant.

I am riding the wave of grief. This is part of my journey, and will continue to enslave me in despair if I allow it to. It is up to me in these times to choose to focus on, and obey Gods truth, knowing He will bring me back to the peak of righteousness. I know as each time I go through this process and find God as my healer, it will diminish the power of future encounters with this misery.

May God bless you and give you Grace!

The Gravity of Grief

Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains. (Prov. 14:13)

The gravity of Grief involves uneven distribution. As it circles around, it is like a weighted ring that fails to find consistent balance. Although I have experienced some joy, the impending wallow remains at an unknown distance in this unsteady cycle.

I realize that this specific turn in the rotation likely stems from the season that is upon us, but there is a different emotion attached to this wave. The days leading up to, and even the day of that Holy time went smoothly and the joy of Christmas day was evident. Now, as things settle back into the normal routine of life, the obvious has become even more vacant.

The reality of my circumstance has succeeded to bear heavy on my heart once again. I recognize that this cycle is temporary and will swing away from my consciousness as long as I turn to God for comfort and guidance as I have in my recent past.

He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. (2 Cor. 1:4)

I pray that as I move through the cycles of grief, I remain diligent in seeking Gods comfort knowing that he is the source of my peace in these and all times.

May God bless you and give you Grace!

Encouraging Faith

When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. (Rom. 1:12)

Growing up, I wasn’t much of an encourager. I’m not sure if I lacked the ability to notice the positive and follow it up with thoughtful critique or was stuck in the act of self-gratification that blinded my view of others willingness to achieve. From this viewpoint, encouragement was all but absent early on, whether I was the provider, or the beneficiary.

In these early days, the encouragement I received would start out optimistic, but then fall void upon a negative follow-up. This pattern fell into my hands as I began my encouraging ways. It has taken a long time to realize that this unproductive dialog halts the growth of not only the recipient, but that of the source as well. I am now learning to pause on the positive and see it for what it is…wonderment!

This wonder of progress that I have begun to observe involves numerous individuals. Whether family, friends, co-workers or even complete strangers, I am beginning to encourage the positive and allow personal opinion to fall away. The area of encouragement itself spans many different subjects, from ordinary routines, my professional environment to faith-based conversation and growth.

Recently, this has not been more evident than when faith has been involved. I rely on this spiritual journal to lift me up and keep God’s Word prevalent in my daily journey. Many readers have shared with me that this journal has encouraged them along their faith walk. Seeing others faith strengthened encourages me to continue with these writings. I have had more honest and uplifting conversation as a result of this journal, which has inspired and encouraged me more than you know.

May God bless you and give you Grace!

Quiet Observation

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. (1 Cor. 13:12)

The past few days have brought a bit of clarity to my overall perspective. My outlook is far from crystal clear, but I have realized an obvious shift in how I view the state of my surroundings.

It is my responsibility to observe with an open heart, and allow any and all situations to find a resting point before bringing them to my own conclusion. There have been too many times that I’ve permitted my surroundings to instantly dictate my response, emotion or even purpose. More often than not, this has lead to strife or conflict. Whether simple or severe, this tension is unsettling for the soul and removes God from the equation.

When I quiet myself and observe slowly, I see a different picture than the flash that I initially saw. This lets me know that I do not have all the answers and my viewpoint is just that…my viewpoint. Others have a different view all together. It is God that has accurate perspective and knows the truth in all situations. So, being patient in these times, and allowing God’s truth to surface is helping bring my clouded view into focus.

I pray that the cloudy reflections I see around me find focus and clarity through Gods truth and that I recognize these times through His view.

May God bless you and give you Grace!

Have a Joyful Christmas!

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7)

I have been in reflection mode much of this week, and as this season comes to its climax, I give thanks to God for carrying me through. So, I will stay humble and continue look to Him to carry me the rest of the way. God has given me the peace that has guarded my heart and mind as I have been living in Christ. He is the one who has kept the warmth in my heart, the calm in my mind and allowed some joy to settle in my soul this holiday season.

I wish everyone a joyful Christmas and encourage you to carry the essence of this season with you throughout the year and always.

May God bless you and give you Grace!

Fanning the Flame

This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Tim 1:6-7)

My spiritual path has led me through the valley, over the hills, across the plains and deep in the seas. The point is, I have been all over the map in my journey, and my consistency would fall where my comfort level settled. When I hit this comfort level, I would become complacent, and the spiritual gift that God gave me would begin to smolder.

These times would sneak up on me, and before I knew it, this gift was down to a flicker. This left me to wonder what was wrong and how did I get here. I would then re-map my steps to bring me around the globe once again. These times have been so spread out and sporadic, that to pinpoint the root of this exhaust was not in my grasp.

Through my recent circumstance I have found myself starting anew each day. This has shortened my path around the globe so that Gods gift can remain at a warm ambient glow. This daily fanning of the flame is giving my relationship and reliance on God the oxygen it needs to keep the flame of God’s spiritual gift ablaze.

I am finding my journey today more powerful and full of love than ever before. Self-discipline has become second nature and my selfish desires seem to be fading away. I know this is due to the daily awareness and willingness to fan into flames the spiritual gift that God has given me.

 
May God bless you and give you Grace!

Enduring Faith

For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (Jas. 1:3-4)

There have been several times on my journey in which I have felt tested. Many of these times I did not equate faith as being the central aspect of what was on trial. Most of these times I was blatant in the assumption that it was all about self, be it pride, ego or self worth that took the blow. I now know that it all comes down to faith.

It may seem strange to some, but when God allowed Angel’s earthly journey to come to an end, anger never entered into my process. I found myself falling to faith. I had to make sense of MY unimaginable. The only way to grasp what happened was to have constant conversations with God – it is not that I received the answers, but I gained comfort.

This comfort allowed me to realize that God has the ability to soothe my sorrows. If he can bring calm to my soul in times such as these, I know that he has the power to bring resolution to any and all situations. Though I must be diligent in my endurance and allow patience to be my strength, I know in the end, God will rest His comfort on me.

The sadness I have in my heart for my Angel Girl still exists. God did not remove it. It has become part of who I am through God. It doesn’t define me, rather allows her to live within me always. This is what falling to faith has brought me, and I KNOW going forward as life’s tests arise my faith will endure.

May God bless you and give you Grace!

Prayer of Purpose

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. (Rom. 8:26-27)

As I have been going on these last few days I have had some internal struggles. My writing yesterday touched on the surface of this struggle. My calamity stems from my undefined purpose of this journal. I continually pray and talk to God about the direction and ultimate goal of these words. But, it is a continual dialog that seems to be going around in circles.

When I came across this passage, it reminded me God knows our heart through the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. This is simple to say, but we must trust it to be true. God created us with a complicated mind that has a tendency is to try and solve the riddle of life. He knows this, and I believe that He wants our curiosity to strive for those answers — it is what drives us to know Him.

So, I will continue to pray in circles as to my purpose of this journal and the barrage of other happenings in my life, knowing that the Holy Spirit will translate the truth in my heart directly to God. This will allow me to rest on the peace that the purpose of these words will find their way. Whether their purpose is to help me or others gain understanding and faith through God or it is just an exercise in the written word. The passage that follows the one above states:

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Rom. 8:28)

I pray that I am able to let go and let God, and allow the Holy Spirit to be my translator to Him so my prayers are heard for the truth that is in my heart, and that my purpose is revealed.

May God bless you and give you Grace!

God's Reflection

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Rom. 12:2)

When I began this ongoing journal, I was not exactly sure of its direction, purpose or where it would lead. As I write this entry, I am still not clear of the ultimate goal. I do know this journal has me focusing on how God is working in my life on a daily basis, and I am driven to share it with others.

An inner feeling a month ago prompted me to sit down and write. I had thoughts that where swirling around in my mind and they needed a place to rest. That is how these words find there way here. My course is to pay attention to my relationships and interactions through my day and to try and see God’s reflection in the process. This is the source of my inspired words.

Seeking His reflection daily in my journey has transformed me away from myself. It has given me a new way of viewing the world around me and how I think. God seems to enter into every decision I make, and I catch myself deciding my options based on His word. This is relatively new and comfortable to me and the end result becomes less important knowing He is in the equation.

My hope is that you find this journal helpful in your own spiritual walk. It just takes willingness to notice that God's reflection is all around you. Remember, the source of the reflection is more than likely you!

May God bless you and give you Grace!

Walking in the Light

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12)

It is difficult to really grasp that this earthly journey I am on is just a flash of time in the span of my eternal existence. Going through year-to-year, day-to-day, or even minute-to-minute can seem so drawn out and at times never ending. Time seems to come to a halt and I get entrapped in various circumstances. This is that “when will this be over” mentality.

The truth is, it will never be over. The circumstances and events I experience stay with me and make up my journey, they help define the path I take. As I am learning to walk in the light of the Lord, I am coming to recognize that the darkness that comes upon me is a reminder beacon to allow the Lord to light my way. It has taken my current experience to know this to be true.

As I now know this truth, I will now aspire to bring the light of the Lord into all experiences, be they dark or light. God doesn’t want me to just rely on his comfort in times of darkness; he wants me to celebrate with him in times of joy.

This passage is telling me, as I walk this truth in this physical life and rely on the Lord in all circumstances, He will transform my existence through eternal life. So as I take my next step, I will reach for His hand and walk with Him the remainder of my journey and beyond.

May God bless you and give you Grace!

The Power of Being Humble

So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. (1 Pet 5:6)

I have never been one to think of being humble as a weakness…in contrast I have also never looked at it as a strength. There is relief in the notion that I am not always right and to give way to the wisdom of others, especially God. This frees the burden of the illusion of perfection and allows my power to come from weakness.

There are times I allowed myself to be stubborn and suffered through the battle of establishing my stance. This always leads to ill will and judgment towards others and the result is the damage of stress. These humbling opportunities pertained to people, places or things, which are prevalent through the course of life. I have found peace in giving way to alternative answers in these situations.

To humble myself before God is an entirely different matter. As a physical being, I am attached to the physical world and measure myself against things my human senses experience. So when things happen that are out of my control and I feel that God has made a mistake, my need to challenge His purpose is exposed. This happens because I do not know the mighty plan that God is unfolding.

The passing of my Angel Girl has taken this truth to the extreme edge of my humility. I still question the “why” of this tragedy, but have seen wondrous things come from this heartbreak. When I become still and submit to Gods authority, I realize that His plan is greater than my little world, but my little world helps make up His mighty plan. And that is very humbling.

I pray that going forward I am humbled by the fact that I am not the focus of Gods plan, but Gods plan is where my focus should lie. He alone will lift me up and I will humble myself to Him so that my power will be shown in my weakness.

May God bless you and give you Grace!