Written by Karla Herbert
"April showers bring May flowers" We've all heard that saying. Here in Far West Texas, we're very short on rain and are experiencing a drought. So what does this have to do with us as Christians? Well consider this ~ all of us go through a spiritual drought or dry spell, don't we? What happens during this spiritual drought? Maybe we cry. Perhaps we sigh. Oftentimes we cry out to God to save us from the wreck we're in. Our tears and prayers are always acknowledged by the One who created us. He never turns His back on us. Maybe we think He does at times, but that's just the mean 'ol devil tricking us into turning our praises from God and having a field day while we whine. Each cry, each tear, each prayer are received by God as he tenderly holds us together. He knows our every need before we do, and He sees our future and knows just where He wants us. He uses the tough moments to help us grow, just like May flowers. Sometimes He doses us with His brand of miracle grow when necessary. All in all, God is so good! I'd like to encourage you if you feel you're in a slump or are desperate for Jesus today. He loves you so much! Recall the Easter story. The people who loved Him the most and believed that He was the Messiah watched Him die a horrific death. Can you imagine their anguish? When He'd conquered death and was resurrected, He personally met Mary Magdalene face to face. Imagine her utter joy as she realized who He was! Just as we prepared for the Easter season with Lent and then celebrated His resurrection from the grave doesn't mean our story ends there. He desires to meet us face to face. He wants to quench our thirst. He wants to create a downpour of His love to fall upon our dry, brittle ground and raise up in us a song of praise. Now's your time to bloom! Written by Karla Herbert
"Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you." Isaiah 60:1 (NAS) Happy December 1st, Prayer Warriors! It is the wonderful season of Advent and my heart is exceedingly glad! If you've been wandering around in the dark, feeling weary, perhaps thinking God has stopped listening to your cries, then rejoice! In actuality, even when we are unaware, he steers us to the light, carries the load for us, and tenderly hears every utterance from our mouths and hearts. God does those things with love, because as a friend says, "That's just how He rolls." He does those things even when we protest and are arrogant with Him. He's still actively at work in our lives. God proved His incredible love for us by sending His only begotten Son to live among the filth of humanity. No matter the dirt or pain in our lives, Jesus is the light. My prayer for you today is for Jesus to light your way. Lean on Him, even when it appears you can't feel Him. He's there. Waiting. With open arms. Arise, shine; for your light has come! Written by Karla Herbert
I was recently at a funeral for a precious little 2 year old boy. Words cannot describe the pain and joy that were intermingled into his service. But they were both present as tears, smiles, sobs, and laughter were shared among the family and friends there. One of the pastors shared a story of how this sweet little man's Mama was filled with utter excitement as she carried him, anticipating his birth, loving him before she'd seen him. He compared that moment in her life to the anticipation we each carry inside of us. The anticipation of the unseen. The anticipation of Heaven, of looking at Jesus face to face, of seeing our loved ones who are already there waiting for us to make it home. There was something about what he said that made it possible for me to wrap my head around the devastating loss for a brief moment. I don't understand why He chose to take this sweet boy with the never-ending grin back home to Him. I don't understand why a big, amazing miracle didn't take place. But I do understand what the anticipation of the unseen feels like. It's enough to take the agony away for a brief moment, to be replaced by a feeling of hope. Hope. The pastor's words were healing words to my heart in the wake of the miscarriage I had recently. I never saw my baby. Never felt her breath on my neck. Never felt her tiny fingers wrap around mine. But I know what the expectant hope of seeing her again feels like. I carry it with me all the time. My prayer for you is that in the midst of heartache, loss, feelings of insecurity, or whatever is happening in your life that is causing you to turn your eyes toward Heaven and sigh, that you'll feel expectancy in anticipating the unseen. "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I shall go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself; that where I am, you also may be." John 14:2,3 Written by Karla Herbert
He (Jesus) said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Matthew 16:15-16 Do you ever get weary? Perhaps physically exhausted? Are there days you feel like being disobedient or ungrateful even when you know you shouldn't give in to your own private pity party? Maybe you've been so sad that you didn't want to try to find something good on which to re-focus your thoughts. Perhaps you've been angry. Really angry. What do you do at times like these? I've been known to throw my hands up in despair, or other times mutter under my breath. If there's a pebble in my path I'll sometimes kick it as hard as I can. I'm sure Satan is cheering me on during these moments. "That's it! You pitch that fit! You can get angrier than that! COME ON! You know that person's a jerk and deserves your WRATH! You know your kids are just going to keep fighting. Just SCREAM AT THEM! LOUDER!" I can just imagine God's pain when I'm forgetting who He really is. He wants to be the lifter of our heads. He wants to be our joy and strength to see us through the rough times. He wants to be the best friend we've ever had. He doesn't want to be the God we desperately turn to only in dire emergencies or dreaded painful moments. He wants to be the main part of our lives all day. Every day. For an eternity. As some of you know, I miscarried a baby just this past Tuesday. It was incredibly sad, somewhat physically painful, and emotionally trying. But for some reason, through the entire ordeal, all I could think of was how good God truly is. I was thankful for the life He'd given me, even though it wasn't long enough in my eyes. I praised Him for being with me through all the tears. I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, prayers and heartfelt sentiments that God placed on people's hearts to share with me. It was a difficult yet beautiful time in my life. And it's only because I believed that Jesus was just who Simon Peter said He was. Christ lives and He loves. He loved enough to shed His blood on the cross for you and me. With a Savior like that we can't go wrong. Choosing to be disobedient seems worthless, because it is. So what about you? What's going on in your life this moment that seems bigger than you can handle. What would your answer be if Jesus was standing right in front of you and asked "Who do you say that I am?" My prayer for you is that you'll recognize Him for who He really is and put your full trust in Him, not just in times of need but at all times. |
Author Karla HerbertI'm a 40-something, coffee loving, Jesus worshipping woman. As a cancer survivor, wife, mother, sister, and friend I've got a lot to write about! I live in El Paso, TX with my husband of 22 years and our 4 children. Contributing Authors
Karla Herbert
Lisa Piatt Amilcare
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