For 30 days consecutive days challenge yourself to spend time with God. Imagine you’re sitting together for ONE HOUR and having daily conversations. No electronics, no interruptions, no study books. Just you and God.
Set the same time each day. Be creative…one hour a day or..30 minutes twice a day or..15 minutes four times a day.
Use a habit tracker method to motivate yourself. Be creative…30 blank index cards and fill out one each day, or ..30 coins- put one in a jar each day or ..30 post-it notes- put one on your mirror each day or ..30 day devotional book
Focus on a theme for 30 days, or a specific Bible passage each day. Be creative. ..taming the tongue or ..turnaround your negative thoughts or ..stand on Gods promises or ..break a stronghold or ..ask for His will and then direction or ..confess or ..take communion or ..ask how to use your spiritual gifts.
featured image: Huatestock.co
Encourage one another… be an eyewitness.
It’s not my plan to update friends on every aspect of my devotional time with God. I’ll share a few discoveries like the one I encountered today.
Day 2- Opening my Bible I felt God would have a plan for us today. My Bible pages opened to Ecclesiastes- right at the beginning! As I started reading I saw words I needed to hear in verse 2: “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”
There you go! Believed to be the words of Solomon, the opening message of this book is about the worthlessness of material things and wasted time.
Not willing to miss this important passage, I set the 15 minute timer on my phone so I would mediate as it deserves. The timer went off, I reset for 15 more minutes. Surprisingly, 15 more was an added bonus. And then… after another 15 minutes I reached my desired time.
This was truly the best thing that happened all day. Since I experienced this in the early morning, I had time to reflect on the devotional time throughout my day. By evening I was pushing aside my scheduled work and desiring MORE than an hour with God.
This morning I weep for my absence and the pathetic sadness of my busy life. When I wake and sip my morning coffee, I’ve been captivated with the morning news app.
Using my my devices for reading, a swarm of notifications draw my attention. Emails, messages, and safety alerts for earthquakes or weather. Important but untimely.
Piles of dishes, laundry, dog hair and unpaid bills mock me from each room. Shouldn’t I be THERE and doing something “important.”
When did it become less important to worship the Lord I love. When did my morning heart shift to busyness and chaos instead of the peace of God’s presence.
Today I turnaround my morning routine. News and notifications are second class priorities- never first.
News triggers fear and anger. God blesses me with courage and peace.
Notifications trigger interruptions. God blesses me with a plan.
Here I am. Your little girl, Daughter of the King!
As I type this a child of mine walks into the room and decides to share her news from the previous day. She’s staring at me, a reminder that I distract too easily.
But her presence reminds me God- my Father- is waiting for His children to come to Him and talk about their day too!
Simple solution- begin God moments in my bedroom retreat. Come out for the day after I’ve enjoyed an hour of prayer and coffee with the King.
Here I am God. Turnaround my morning.
Related Devotional Verses
But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. Psalm 59:16 NIV
I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. Psalm 130:6 NIV
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.” Revelation 22:16-17 NIV
Last month I was praying for my pastor and the safety of his family when the prayer turned around. God delivered a treasure I wasn’t seeking when I saw my pastor didn’t have any fear, I did.
Processing this with God, I never recognized how fear was controlling my decisions and prayers.
A history of traumatic events kept latching over me. It started with post traumatic stress and moved into post-partum depression after my kids were born. I was blind to the effect these fears were having on my spiritual life.
I latched onto a childhood event and a stronghold of fear took root in me.
This unhealthy stronghold had a big impact on how I raised my children, traveled on holiday, and communicated in marriage. Because fear is a strong virus, it was suffocating Fruits of the Spirit inside me.
And it’s contagious.
Examining my own history, I saw where seeds of fear were planted. It happened during a traumatic neighborhood event with a serial killer.
While processing the event through the heart of a child, I decided I wasn’t “safe” and learned to depend on my own abilities instead of trusting in God.
Every decision I made was processed through a fear-filter. If life gave me two options I’d always reach for the one with the least amount of danger.
In movie theaters. malls, and church I’d examine the room for an exit route. My highly visual mind had already mapped out my survival and how to protect my family. I survived a deadly airplane crash at the mall using this instinct. The pilot who died in the crash was a high school classmate and I was shopping at the mall when he crashed and burned several people in his path.
A circumstance that happens to a family member, friend or neighbor is not a fear designed for me. But my fear-based mindset was like a magnet and picking up fears like compounding interest.
Since praying for my pastor I’m walking away from fear. Don’t worry, I’m not going sky diving or something silly like walking on hot coals. I don’t need to prove to myself that I’m not afraid. My fears will be taken captive to Christ.
Looking back at my journey of fear, I learned to run away from danger and flee. Then I learned to wrap myself with a false sense of security. When I had children I started passing fear into the next generation with “helicopter parenting.” It was suffocating to be me!
The Man Who Put Me Under A Stronghold of Fear
Each time I write about this event it brings up nausea in me. Seeing his photos and reading his news stories trigger a vomit-reflex. My innocence was shattered, three of my neighbors divorced, and our small town no longer trusted people.
As I saw hope destroyed around me I adopted a spirit of fear.
Here’s the story.
“On Dec. 9, 1978 the Golden State Killer emerged in Danville, where he raped a woman alone in her home. He went quiet again, disappearing until April 1979, when he attacked a couple in Fremont. His behavior spiked in June, when he raped two teen girls in Walnut Creek and one woman in Danville. His final Bay Area crime was on July 5, 1979, when he broke into the home of a Danville couple (my neighbor and the family I babysat for). After that, the Golden State Killer moved onto Southern California and escalated to almost exclusively murders.” (source: SFGATE)
Here’s the number of years I was in captivity: 40. If you’ve read the Bible then you’re familiar with wilderness seasons of 40 days or 40 years. They are markers of turnaround.
“Revival-hood” is a word!
You’ll hear me say this on the video (below) as my mind took the word “revival” and added the “neighbor-HOOD” to the end of it.
Earlier today I was tempted to share a shocking story where “I was right and he was wrong” but the Holy Spirit stopped me. As I reached for the phone I felt a tugging inside my heart. So I asked myself, “Does this honor God?”
I knew by sharing the story it would become gossip, and the root of gossip is a stronghold of pride. Knowing this truth, I resisted the urge to dial the phone and share my “victory.”
I’m beginning to realize how pride wounds others, not just the person carrying the stronghold. When I accepted immediate correction and spiritual redirection I saw myself delivered of the stronghold.
image source: HauteStock
Self-examination led me into the Scriptures and then deeper into my heart with prayer. As I dig into my past and look for attachments where pride took root it wasn’t difficult to find.
I was the little girl with blond hair and blue eyes, getting verbal rewards for perfection and physical disciplines for my many mistakes. In my innocence I taught my brain that pride feels good and failure hurts. Whenever I wasn’t perfect, I was spanked… and it hurt.
To avoid physical pain I adopted the posture of pride. We all know what the Bible says…pride comes before a fall.
While God is showing me I’m mostly delivered from a stronghold of pride, He will test my endurance.
Sometimes He puts people into my life to mirror what I dislike in myself.
When I gossip or take a victory lap because someone else has failed, the real loser is me.
WIth the help of the Holy Spirit and great Bible studies, I’ve learned to slow down and practice self-control. Before I type a reply or call a friend, I’m anticipating how my actions look from Heaven’s view.
Even if nobody on earth knows, the authorities in Heaven know when I’m self-centered and walking by sight- not by faith.
The glory belongs to God in all things, not in me.
If you’re read this far into my story, then I’ll add personal application too. Here’s how to process the temptations when they happen:
#1 Is what happened true? Yes
#2 What will happen if I shared this? It would be gossip, slander, division and disrespect. These are fruits of the flesh.
#3 What will happen if I don’t share it? It’s still true but it’s NOT about ME.
#4 Where is Christ in this? The story is true and not sharing it helps me imitate Christ.
When we take someone else’s’ mistakes and measure against our own perfections, we are the one Heaven sees as having a stronghold in need of correcting.
Pride leaches to our hearts like a blood-sucking parasite. Once rooted, we adopt a posture of ENTITLED. We e decide we’re entitled to eat anything we want, buy anything we want, do anything we want. It feeds the stronghold.
How are you breaking free from pride? What testing opportunities have you recently passed through? I’d love to hear from you today as we encourage one another to live a life of visible faith.
In all aspects of life- school, work, church- we are expected to conform to the common standards. A common message is “fit in, or leave.”
One of my close friends tells others I’m her friend who “didn’t fit in church, so I went outside the walls of tradition and created online Bible studies.” I cringed and took this as rejection, until I read The Anomaly Mind-Set by Sandi Krakowski.
Reading The Anomaly Mind-Set is a spiritual experience often with great discomfort. You’ll have the feeling of Heaven on Earth as Krakowski painfully removes the curtain of conformity to this world, then invites her readers into the uniqueness of God‘s Kingdom Plan. Written for both men and women, this is a useful business book, self-discovery book, and faith-based book.
Reading this book showed me its okay to be outside the box and to stop hiding my uniqueness. I saw similarities with Sandi’s story in myself and in my unique daughters. Delivered of fear, anybody can soar to places of their highest abilities. Delivered from conformity, great leaders and inventors thrive.
For any parent raising a child with Asperger, autism, or OCD… Sandi Krakowski reveals… gives PERMISSION … that it’s okay to be different. Can we get an Amen? She writes,”The world needs businesses built on integrity and faith. The world needs anomalies.”
Sandi refers to herself as a unicorn, an anomaly. When did the world, the education system, and the previous generation decide for our unicorn kids… what “normal” will be.
Written as a biography, Sandi coaches her readers through each of the ten chapters. Journal exercises and spiritual takeaways add personalization to the experience.
Throughout the book Krakowski reveals her spiritual identity as a daughter, calling God “Papa.” Her words are tender as she shares moments of faith at work. Her Christian theology is uninhibited by doctrine and rules; she pours from her heart.
I look forward to reading this with book club friends and discussing our uniqueness.
SAMPLE BOOK QUOTES FROM THE ANOMALY MINDSET
“The quirks and things we think of as odd and set us apart could be the stepping-stones to a career.”
“When we see how we’re all designed to not fit in but to live in beautiful harmony together, you’ll see that other anomalies inspire, motivate, and even give you courage as they press forward on their path.”
“As I began to grow my business, discover myself, and learn to walk in my truth, it was then that I realized my brain was exceptional, not broken; it was remarkable and beautiful, not weird or unsafe.”
“How did we ever get to a place where opposition is supposed to be feared and being passive is to be revered?”
“Our beautiful diversity, when brought together in harmony, brings us to a higher place of unity than we could ever get to alone.”
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Amazon Vine is a wonderful program to help sellers and buyers. I’ve been a member of this program for several years and written more than 600 reviews. It took some determination on my part to get approved as a trusted Amazon reviewer.
Recently I shared with a friend who asked how she could get free products from Amazon. Applying my method, she was approved too!
Are you interested? First, you need to know that this requires work and its not available to all who ask. The program is constantly changing so my methods may work today, but not a month from now. All I can say is test it for yourself, and keep testing your eligibility.
You should know up front, I’m a regular and consistent shopper on Amazon. My established shopping history gave me credibility as a fan of the store. For years I’ve been buying ebooks (some are less than a dollar) and I’ve collected many wonderful books for my library.
When I heard about the Amazon Vine program from another mom, I started looking to see if I was eligible. Many times I’d inquire and get a message to discourage me.
But I remained persistent and once a week (sometimes twice a week) I’d search these two words: Amazon Vine. Typing the words into my Amazon search bar gave me a not eligible response.
Until one day I hit the golden ticket and they said YES!
Looking back I see a few things I’ve done to earn my reputation as a trusted reviewer:
I wrote lots of reviews for Amazon products I purchased
I was honest (and still am) in all my reviews. I am writing these with the next buyer in mind, thinking what might help them learn about my personal product experience.
Some of my reviews were low, some were high ratings, and many in between. It was super important to demonstrate integrity in my reviews and I would never compromise.
Even if other Vine reviewers were giving great product comments, I always told my experience truthfully.
After writing 10 more reviews for Amazon this week, my review ranking DROPPED instead of going up! So I discovered something…
Amazon TOP 10 REVIEWER RANKS is based on the “helpful votes” not the actual number of reviews written. Ratios are high on top reviewers… i’ts super fun to see them rise.
There are some discomforts to this program as well. As you just saw, my Amazon reviewer ranking DROPPED.
Sometimes the boxes are enormous and they pile up in my trash. Twice I had to hire a hauling company to get rid of them.
Sometimes the products are not wonderful and as a member of the program I am not allowed to give them away, sell them at yard sales or donate to charity. This makes sense because if a product is recalled after reviews, then it can be a hazard for the next owner. So a few times I’ve had to”junk” something and have it hauled away.
What a fluffy pink coat… my dog likes it!
Amazon provides me with a tax form stating how much the products are valued, and I am required to report this to the IRS. It’s a mystery to me how they set the tax value. Sometimes the tax value is higher than the sales price, so I decide not review those products.
You probably want to know what free products I have received? In the Amazon Vine program I have a product que and I can choose from preselected items. I’m not allowed to randomly pick something and ask for it free. The sellers set the products into the que and limit the number available.
Want to see this in action?
Visit my Amazon profile, read a review and if you like the review click the “helpful” button. It’s that easy!
“A reviewer’s ranking is determined by the number of helpful votes from other customers. Customers tend to value substantive, informative, detailed and objective reviews, regardless of whether the review is positive, negative, or neutral.”
Sandi Krakowski is a respected business leader known for her passion to incorporate Faith At Work and empowering business men and women to reach their God-given potential. She has assisted many ministries and authors to make an impact in this generation. Krakowski has a visible voice on social media as a Facebook Marketing Expert she was recognized by Forbes as a Top 20 Online Marketing Influencer, Top 20 Social Media Influencer and a Top 50 Social Media Power Influencer. Sandi Krakowski works in cooperation with her calling from God to #BeMore
When you share a quote please attribute to Sandi Krakowski as the source. Quotes are gathered from Twitter posts, Facebook posts, videos, internet searches and published works.This page is updated with new content, so suggest a quote in the comments area and contribute to this research.
“What if you spend your time on social media encouraging, empowering, and equipping?”
“Being more starts with looking up to strengthen your relationship with God and then ripples outward.”
“God is not growing tired of you. He is not simply tolerating you. He is celebrating you. Join Him in His efforts to help you BE MORE.”
“God not only loves you, He likes you. He doesn’t look at us as sinful, disgusting people, but as tender children He loves and adores.”
“It’s absolutely amazing what happens when one human being realizes they are loved by God and He’s not mad at them.”
“One of our biggest barriers to success is our tendency to prepare for failure.”
“Expectation is a double-edged sword. For the person who is always expecting failure and always expecting loss, they will find exactly that. The person who is always expecting things will come together and is always expecting favor will see those blessings in their life.”
“We are not promised a picture-perfect life, but we are promised that if we believe in Him we will never go through it alone.”
“The greatest trick the devil is pulling off in our lives today is convincing us that we don’t matter and that God is no longer relevant.”
“We forget who our God is and how great He is when the devil comes and brings his doubt and fear.”
“Insecurity breeds self-hatred, and self-hatred causes us to turn on those around us.”
I’m believing this for you today! Your dreams matter to me and I believe it’s time for a breakthrough! 🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/5MAEnd49C7
“The enemy of your soul, your future, your finances, and your life will create tension when he sees that you are on the verge of working in God’s plan.”
“Remember, when you are on target, you become a target. The devil does not want you to stay where you are in God’s will and will try to get you off track by convincing you the rough road is not the right one.”
“Ask heaven to shut the door on the lies and deceit.”
“Chameleons can change their color and even the pattern on their skin. They camouflage themselves to blend in. Have you looked in the mirror and discovered that you don’t know who you are because you have “adapted” too much to your environment?”
“Many of the things we worry about are so big in our heads and then so, so tiny in reality.”
“Instead of thinking about how much you don’t want to do something, think about how great it will feel to have it done.”
“We have to do the work of a champion to live the life of a champion.”
“All warriors have hard days. Some have to retreat for a while. But the truest nature of a powerful warrior is to GET BACK UP, and the only way to do that is by refusing to listen to the negative messages in your brain.”
“Trying to be someone you’re not is a heavy burden.”
“There are only two opinions that really matter: (1) the one you have of yourself and (2) the one God has of you. Everything else is really irrelevant.”
“Don’t confuse your calling with your identity.”
“You weren’t designed to just blend in and you were not created to take the same journey as everyone else.”
“The battlefield is in your mind, but with God in your heart you are more than equipped to win.”
Wow. Holy WOW! I’m unpacking boxes and found these notes from a class I taught in 2013! I need to reteach this. I needed this today! WOW PAPA! RISE up today my friends. It’s time. It’s inappropriate to stay small, shrink back and hide. It’s appropriate to be your true self! pic.twitter.com/rN1sU7KuqM
“Perfection is overrated, and perfectionism is a sorry master to serve.”
“Far too many people can’t figure out why their life isn’t changing. They make excuses, they allow themselves to take on a victim mindset, and they wallow in self-pity. The problem is they are making mistakes and they aren’t learning from them.”
“Boxes don’t hold lives and cages aren’t good places to store your dreams.”
“It isn’t ordained that we will win every race, receive every top award, and defeat everyone who challenges us.”
“If you find you are not getting the support you need from those around you, change your circle.”
“When we make right choices, no matter how hard it is, we will receive blessings.”
“Far too many of us end up living in a refrigerator-box-sized life and have no clue we are holding keys to a mansion. Too often we keep our lives smaller so we won’t be so disappointed.”
“Choose wisely where you let your thoughts lead you.”
“If you are not the one who is controlling your mood, others will control your mood for you.”
“The children we have been trusted to raise will have a direct impact on their communities and the countless other people who will pass through their lives. The words we speak over them will shape who they become.”
“Breaking the cycle of pain and woundedness is our responsibility to the next generation.”
“What would you do if you didn’t have any limitations?”
“We do not have insight into the ways God chooses to move and use us for His purposes. Don’t criticize what you don’t understand.”
“There is no room for practical when you are pursuing the passion God has given you.”
“Don’t let the jealousy and insecurity of others distract you from pursuing the dream God put in your heart.”
“You are a tool in the grand workroom of life, and God is trying to love us all through what he does in your life.”
“Forgiveness is critical for dreamers. If we don’t learn to forgive and release, we’ll never see our dreams come true. The opinions of our critics and why they are putting down our dreams are not important.”
“Too many of our dreams are derailed because we are too focused on what others have to say about them.”
“We don’t get to behave like cowards and expect to become champions. If greatness came easy, it wouldn’t have any significance. If everyone could do it, it wouldn’t be special.”
“The wisest among us are those who have opinions and the discernment to know when to share them and when to keep quiet.”
“It is easy for us to throw in our two cents at every opportunity, especially in the world of social media and blogging. Everyone has a platform from which to speak now. That does not mean they should.”
“If the opinion you are about to offer does not support, enhance, or otherwise benefit your purpose, reconsider putting it out there.”
“Do not let the enemy muzzle you. Use your voice in a positive, uplifting way.”
“Let the words you speak mirror the life you want to live.”
“Mindfully, intentionally, and actively choose to extend mercy.”
“Kindness is currency that has a multiplying exchange. The more you give away, the more you get back.”
“God so loved the entire world that He gave His only Son, Jesus. Don’t be confused by those who would have you believe God only loved a select few and the rest are doomed. Ignore that lie.”
“Far too many people who call themselves Christians are so afraid of the devil that they never reach into the darkness to bring light.”
“Don’t shy away from spiritual growth just because there is some pain involved. You know the outcome is worth it.”
“Apathy is a thief of ambition, a stealer of dreams.”
“Instead of worrying about maximizing your productivity, consider maximizing your faith”
“The value that God has placed inside each of us is a gift to the world. Stop competing with everyone. When we do this we lessen the value God created in us.”
“Small acts of courage change the course of history.”
“The world’s top performers—athletes, leaders, scientists—have a “head battle” just as you do. The only difference is this: They know how to get out of their head and into the game.”
“I’ve never met anyone who has done something significant in life without taking risks!”
“I will never again allow my circumstances to be greater than Him.”
The Bible says: Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.” Acts 9:8-9,17-19 NIV
Friends, I dreamed on April 11, 2019 that Jesus is filling His saints with blood transfusions (blood of Christ) and giving them wider eyes to see like Paul. So cool!
In the dream an eye doctor named Paul was putting huge contact lenses over my eyes while I was in a hospital room with men and women getting blood transfusions and rejoicing.
Also in the dream, I posted this event on Facebook as it was happening #revival#eyestosee
Let’s pray over this: Jesus, we pray for the scales to fall from the eyes of your saints. Let us see signs, wonders and miracles as the Holy Spirit moves on Heaven and on Earth. Equip us with the eyes of Paul and the blood of Christ for the revival ahead. Amen.
image: Bigstock-79485067.
Bible Scholar NT Wright explains the Misunderstandings of Damascus Road
If you want to be a great blogger, see your articles from the reader’s view- not yours. Let me explain.
Yesterday a colleague wrote a blog post about a hot topic and then posted a photo which offends. For me as a reader, I felt the image was hurtful and I immediately disassociated with the blogger by unfriending and unfollowing him.
After jumping into the heated discussion and sharing his image of hatred, the blogger’s post was removed by Twitter as offensive. He drew attention to himself for having his content filtered.
This is grieving my heart. I’ve been weeping in the Spirit, with the Holy Spirit, for the last 24 hours.
Posting images of hate divides people, triggers emotions and captures attention- which is usually the intent of journalists.
If you’re blogging please consider how these images are perceived by others. Pulling historical images of racism and hatred doesn’t build up the church.
If you jump into a hot topic as a representative of Christ, then show His love.
I am hurt.
My community of friends are diverse. Never in a million years, on earth or in Heaven, would I post a blog image of racism. I choose unity.
If we truly live on earth as it is in Heaven then we do NOT see each other by the color of our skin. We see men, women, and children made in the image of God.
We see what Jesus sees.
We live on earth as it is in Heaven when we see through the eyes of Christ. Not the eyes of pride, greed, division, or offense. Write your story from that frame of view.
…your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10 NIV
Zig Ziglar was a popular motivational speaker and bestselling author. He inspired many business leaders to success. Most people don’t realize Ziglar lost his daughter and wrote a detailed confession about his life as a grieving Christian. Zig Ziglar comforts many through his story of grief and faith.His encouragement will help you in a season of grieving someone you love.
When you share a quote please attribute to Zig Ziglar as the source. Quotes are gathered from Twitter posts, Facebook posts, videos, internet searches and published works.This page is updated with new content, so suggest a quote in the comments area and contribute to this research.
“Grief is pervasive. You never get over it, but you do learn to recognize and live with it.”
“My not-so-well-hidden agenda in everything I do is to introduce people to Christ.”
“God uses grief to heal us, strengthen us in our faith, and cause us to grow in our relationship with Him.”
“While I do not believe that God causes the circumstances that result in our grief, I do believe that God uses grief as a process to show His compassion toward us, to teach us, and to bring us into greater wholeness.”
“Out of my grief has come a sense of urgency to be more effective in my witness for Christ and to pray more diligently for guidance that I might be doing all that the Lord has for me to do in this life.”
“No one is immune from the fact of grief. Grief is woven throughout the tapestry of life.”
“Virtually everyone is experiencing some type of grief to some degree.”
“Grief is perhaps the most profound way of expressing love.”
“The intensity of grief is directly related to the intensity of love. The more we love a person we have lost, the greater our grief.”
“Grief puts us into a position to trust God alone for our healing and restoration.”
“God will never walk out on you. His love is based not on our holding tightly to Him but on His holding tightly to us through all circumstances and situations.”
“God does not see time the way we see time. God measures one’s success not in terms of longevity but rather as fulfillment of one’s God-given purpose in life.”
“All that the loved one experienced in this life was experienced in only a fleeting moment against the unending panorama of heaven.”
“If our departed ones could come back to us and tell us about their experiences with the Lord in heaven, I feel certain they would tell us three things. First, they would tell us to concentrate on the way they were when they were at their best in this life. Second, they would tell us to enjoy our lives to the fullest and choose to fill them with the best memories and experiences possible. Third, they would tell us to spend more time getting to know Christ better.”
“God has purposes for our lives that we may not know this side of eternity.”
“God sees a future we cannot see. He is both omnipresent and omniscient, which means that He alone fully sees the ending from the beginning and knows precisely when to act for our full benefit.”
“We must recognize that God calls us always to trust Him and to put our faith in Him. He does not call us to be all-knowing; rather, He calls us to rely upon the fact that He is all-knowing and all-loving.”
“There are things we know about the personality, faith, and character of the person we have lost. Those things have not changed—they have only come to the point of perfection.”
“Our daughter is not missing; she is merely absent. To be absent means not to be present in a particular moment or setting. To be missing means that nobody knows where you are. We know where she is! She is not missing, only absent from us temporarily.”
“An encouraging aspect of my Christian faith and my trust in Jesus Christ is the fact that during His ministry here on earth, Christ never attended a funeral at which He did not raise the dead. Jesus is the Resurrection.”
“Coincidence is a man-made word. Miracles are God-made realities.”
“Words of prayer are the most effective words of all.”
“There truly is no substitute for the power of God’s Word to bring healing and joy into our lives.”
“To those who grieve, what a comfort it is to be assured that God fully understands our feelings and knows our needs.”
“Our healing from grief to a very great extent lies in our daily communication with the Lord.”
“Don’t expect grief to be logical.”
“I encourage you to acknowledge that you are grieving. Do not attempt to deny, avoid, or put off feelings of sadness. I have admitted I am a grieving Christian.”
“To deny or attempt to shorten the grieving process is to find yourself in even greater pain for longer periods of time. It also permits the entrance of bitterness and despair.”
“Grieving is a process that takes time; there are no shortcuts. It also takes the love and encouragement of family members and friends.”
“Sometimes giving a quick hug and just being present speak volumes to the grieving person. Answers are not the key; your presence is what counts.”
“If you trust God and ask Him to direct you in the way you comfort the grieving, you can relax in the knowledge that His will is being done.”
“A message that is always welcome to the grieving person is actually very simple: “I’m sorry. I’m praying for you. I really care.”
“There are those who say and believe that Satan killed or snatched away the loved one. Scripturally that is inaccurate. Psalm 139:16 asserts that God, not Satan, has our days numbered. Christ met Satan in battle and defeated him.”
“Heaven is too sweet, and hell is too hot, to gamble with salvation, especially when God has given us a clear and certain way of securing our eternal future. The instructions on how to receive God’s offer of free salvation are sprinkled throughout His Book. I encourage you to read prayerfully every instance related to one’s salvation and eternal life.”
“The Lord who allows each of us to grieve differently also knows and provides precisely what will bring comfort to our hearts.”
“Grief does not rest entirely on the amount of LOVE we had for the deceased. In some cases, grief seems intensified based upon the NEED a person had for the loved one.”
“My fellowship with my daughter has not ended because she is in heaven. She is still very much present in my mind and heart.”
“It is natural to talk about someone you love. That is true whether the person is alive on this earth or present with the Lord… I believe that conversation is a priceless healer.”
“To continue to do the work that God has put before us to do is a form of spiritual warfare; it is a statement in the spiritual realm that we will not be defeated in our God-given purpose in life despite what the enemy of our souls might have intended as a stumbling stone or brick wall.”
“I have talked to a number of people whose ministries have become even more effective after the death of a loved one. These people continued their work, and they did so with greater faith and reliance upon God. And God honored and blessed their expression of trust in Him with incredible results.”
“It is the Lord in me and through me who is accomplishing His purposes. I am grateful to be a vessel He can use.”
“If we have a clear vision of heaven and of God’s grace and love that enable eternal life to be possible in the future, as well as a present reality, we will want every person we encounter to accept Jesus as Savior.”
“Out of the expression of our faith, God can and does work His miracles.”
“Choose to draw upon the strength of others. Choose to see the strength in the one you love who has died. Choose to move forward on the foundation of strength your loved one has contributed to your life.”
“Every moment of every day takes on a little different perspective after the loss of a loved one, and priorities are readjusted.”
“How we choose to show our love is just as important, I believe, as the fact that we love.”
“God will impart to each of us His strength and grace to do what He has called us to do. It is up to us to choose to continue to walk with boldness and faith the path He unfolds before us.”
“When we lose someone to death. We become immediately aware of how much we loved that person, and we are also more aware of the many ways in which he needed us and we needed him—in other words, of the bonds of the relationship we enjoyed.”
“Every child is unique and irreplaceable and deserves to be loved unconditionally with all of a parent’s heart. That love does not end in death, but neither should love for the “lost child” be expressed to the point of neglecting to express and show love for the remaining children.”
“The grieving parent is wise to rejoice in the fact that he has loved, that he does love, and that he will continue to love.”
“Love does not die with death.”
“Love is a vital ingredient of life.”
“Love is intended to be given. It cannot be stored up. If you truly want to have a lot of love, you must continually give a lot of love.”
“Nothing satisfies the human heart as much as love does.”
“The truth is, if we do not express deep love for a person, we are likely to experience substantial guilt at his passing.”
“My message to you is simple: do everything in your power to build and maintain good relationships with those whose paths you cross. If a relationship is broken, particularly if you have had a part in the breaking of it, go to the person and ask for forgiveness. Seek to mend the relationship, and do it now. A major burden will lift from your heart, and you will avoid an even greater buildup of guilt or bitterness.”
“Resentment toward another person becomes acid in the human soul and takes a toll on your life.”
“Guilt is a by-product of unforgiveness.”
“Spend time with those you love; that is an unspoken way of saying, “I love you.” Your presence is a gift of love to a person who loves you in return.”
“We long to be with the Lord, but we don’t want to leave loved ones. We are eager to reach the destination of life’s journey, and yet we are not eager to leave behind those who walk life’s road. My grief has known this same two-sided reality. On the one hand, I have sorrow; on the other, abundant joy.”
“Many things related to grief are choices. Will we choose to place our focus on missing the person or giving thanks for the gift of God that the person was to us?”
“What a wonderful thing it is to leave a legacy of joy. What an enviable thing it is to have others see the joy of loving and serving Christ in all that you do.”
“The freedom of choice is one of our most precious gifts, and I encourage you to choose to have joyful memories today of the loved ones you may have lost. Choose joy as their legacy to you. It is one of the most wonderful gifts you can give to yourself in their memory.”
“You can get everything in life you want if you will just help other people get what they want.”
“Move from survival to stability, from stability to success, from success to significance.”
image source: HauteStock
Amazon Vine is a wonderful program to help sellers and buyers. I’ve been a member of this program for several years and written more than 600 reviews. It took some determination on my part to get approved as a trusted Amazon reviewer.
Sandi Krakowski is a respected business leader known for her passion to incorporate Faith At Work and empowering business men and women to reach their God-given potential. She has assisted many ministries and authors to make an impact in this generation. Krakowski has a visible voice on social media as a Facebook Marketing Expert she was recognized by Forbes as a Top 20 Online Marketing Influencer, Top 20 Social Media Influencer and a Top 50 Social Media Power Influencer. Sandi Krakowski works in cooperation with her calling from God to #BeMore
The Bible says: Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
If you want to be a great blogger, see your articles from the reader’s view- not yours. Let me explain.
Zig Ziglar was a popular motivational speaker and bestselling author. He inspired many business leaders to success. Most people don’t realize Ziglar lost his daughter and wrote a detailed confession about his life as a grieving Christian. Zig Ziglar comforts many through his story of grief and faith.His encouragement will help you in a season of grieving someone you love.