Lyrical Friday - Glorious

Happy Friday! 
For the past few weeks, the Lord has been working the discipline of worship in my heart. And by worship I mean worship by thanksgiving, worship by praise, over all, worship by words. Eventually all our works here on earth will be judged and if our works were good than we shall be rewarded. Worship is a good work and I don't want to fail God in this area. By no means am I encouraging anyone to do good works in order to earn a reward, for what greater reward than eternity with God!? But this is where God has me, He is molding me to be a worshiper in spirit, in truth and as a good worker. 
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For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:9-15
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I don't know about you, but I want my works of worship to endure all throughout Heaven and eternity. I have determined to worship God with excellence, focus and purpose. I encourage you to do the same as you meditate on the lyrics of this song. May your worship be a sweet-smelling aroma unto the Lord; a worship that pleases Him. 


Glorious, Bryan and Katie Torwalt 

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Hope fills my soul, and the love that youʼve shown
Brings refreshing like the rain
Peace floods my heart, Iʼve known nothing apart
Apart from Your goodness God

Chorus 
You are Glorious, 
You are Holy, Holy 
The heavenʼs shout, You are Worthy, Worthy
My soul cries out, You are Holy, Holy
The Nations will shout, You are Worthy, Worthy

Verse 2 
Your Love frees my soul, and fear has no hold 
For You have broken the chains 
Now Joy fills my life, Your Spirit Your Light
Iʼm undone by the Kindness of Christ

happy december.

Happy December

[photo credit]

Just writing to you because (1) I miss writing to you (2) letting you know that we are back on schedule (3) I miss writing to you. I was so blessed by the birthday series and would love to know what God spoke to you.

By the way, throughout the month of December I will post one challenge per week. This should be fun... after all, this is the most wonderful time of the year. See you tomorrow for our Lyrical Friday post.

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, 

and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Ecclesiastes 7:8

birthday surprise! It's Josie

Happy Wednesday! 

Today we approach our final birthday surprise with one of the most special women I know and am blessed to call my friend. One of my earliest memories of our friendship was her impeccable taste in clothes and my acknowledging it. Though she continues dressing lovely, it is her passionate love for Jesus and His joy alive in her that attracts people to her. She radiates His glory everywhere she goes, making Josie one of the most beautiful women I know. May you be blessed by her post today! 

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The Great Restorer

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I’m excited to be writing this and a bit nervous. You see, writing takes me out of my comfort zone and into an area where I am stretched and have to completely depend on God. I’ve prayed about what I would write about. I originally had my heart set on worship, as the Lord had placed in my heart, but then it took a turn last night.

My husband loves to watch the History Channel, among other channels that I would rather not watch (Discovery, National Geographic, etc) … boring! Anyway, these channels are not my first choice. I would rather watch HGTV, but at times I have learned to enjoy those shows with him and have learned a few things along the way. We were watching a show called ‘American Restoration’. This show consist of people bring old items (dirty items that were not being used and couldn’t work any longer) to a man, an expert, that could restore them to their original beauty. As I was watching this I was thinking, “Why would anybody keep that, its old and ugly and so worn out. What’s the use?” The Lord in that moment said to my heart, “That’s what I do.”

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He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory. Isaiah 61:3

This verse is true in my own life and in yours. God is the only One who can turn around a life that seems to be in the worst of situations; a life so run down by problems, unmet expectations, mistakes, and failures. Anyone looking at such a life might ask, “What’s the use of it?” But God is the Great Restorer; He can give you a crown of beauty for ashes. God can make something out of nothing. He can and He does provide in ways that only He is capable of. He can give you an abundant life. He does the impossible. He is your Creator.

The end results in the show is great, to see this expert turn something so dreadful into something so beautiful, it made everyone smile including myself. This “thing” could be used again for its original purpose and with loveliness.

You and I are precious in the eyes of Jesus, who paid it all for you and I ‐for love. He loves you and me so much that He will do what only He is best at and is able to do: turn our circumstance around, cleanse our heart from the guilt of the past, and start fresh. That is with one condition, that we submit our lives to Him, the “expert restorer”. Those things that were brought into the shop for restoration didn’t tell the expert what to do, that would have been laughable. So it is silly to tell God how He needs to change our lives. We are the ones making it worse. Each item brought into the shop required its own work. At times it took the renovator a little longer to restore one thing more than another. So it is with us. The “restoration” work of our lives is a personal one. Each of us is a unique, one of a kind, masterpiece that requires a specific chisel, drill, nail, buffer, cut, furnace, time, paint and gloss to be restored to our original God-given purpose. The end result will be a beautiful and glorious thing to see, and everyone will know that the Great Restorer has done a marvelous work in our life. It will bring a smile to those around us and most importantly to Jesus.

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If you feel like there is no hope or beauty in your life, I encourage you to come to Jesus. He is the only One who can restore your life to beauty and purpose that if told you, you would not believe it. He already knows the work He can do in you and through you.

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Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us...  Ephesians 3:20

Submission to God begins by trusting that God can do the impossible in our lives. Trust Him for He loves you and is waiting for you to allow His hands to restore you. I can say this confidently because He has turned my ashes into beauty. All the glory goes to Him my Lord and King!

PS: I guess it’s still about worship.

We worship God because He is worthy to praised.

When you feel down and out, worship, worship, and worship! Thank God and sing to Him and you will have a beauty that is to be reckoned with :)

birthday surprise! It's Arlene.

Happy Tuesday! 

I have enjoyed all the birthday surprises so much, and I am sure that you have too. I love how the Lord has worked in the heart's of all the guest writers; orchestrating through them a rhythm of encouragement and life. Today you will read from one of the most amazing women that I know. I've said it before and I will say it again, hanging out with Arlene is like hanging out with one of the disciples... she is that close to the Lord! I know that you will be blessed and motivated to do mighty things for Jesus after reading this post. 

Am I just a Storyteller…Or a living Testimony? 

SURPRISE!!

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer ‘I’ who live but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Have you ever decided to be true to yourself – for real?  You know, like just hanging out in the mirror not just to put on makeup or pluck your eyebrows? Yep!! I’m talking about taking a mirror journey.  Going deep.  Having conversations, asking questions and getting answers.  Opening up the conversation with,  “What’s your story?”  Or, “Is your story the same as my story?”  Or maybe just asking your mirror friend, to be honest with you and reflect the truth about your story.  If you hang out long enough in the mirror, seeking a true reflection,  I guarantee you’ll get an answer, which may lead to new questions such as, “Is anyone really listening to my story, or am I my only audience?   OK – Maybe I’m the only one who has nothing better to do but take Mirror Getaways just to check “me” out.  I promise you, if you invest in a Mirror Getaway you may just find out that the ‘you’ in your story is more than just a story character, but the living testimony of an overcommer who has been crucified and resurrected with Christ.  Let’s talk!!

There are hundreds of references of people’s personal testimonies in the Bible.  And these are only the recorded ones.  I believe that that there are thousands of unrecorded Biblical testimonies.  But just like the Bible characters, some of us have lives that are filled with interesting stories that are never heard because they were never told.  It’s unrealistic however, to think that we can just go around telling our stories to everyone we meet, so how will people ever know what we are all about?  Pardon me for getting back to the Mirror Getaway, but therein we can find some true-life nuggets.  For one, a true reflection is better seen in our living testimony than in our creative storytelling.

Does everyone have a testimony?   Let’s start with God’s Testimony.  Does God have a testimony?  How do we know?  Where do we find it? Another surprise! God’s testimony is in both the Old and New Testaments where all of God’s stories are told.  The Old Testament testifies of His sovereign rule, His proven omnipotence throughout all of creation, His omniscience in knowing the end from the beginning, and His omnipresence in filling the space of all existence.  In His New Testament story, we see the “The Word” became flesh (John 1:14), lived among us and was tested.  For 33 ½ years the world experienced God through the living testimony of the “Jesus Story”.  And like our Mirror Getaway, we must become familiar with the testimony of God and have a clear understanding of the powerful dynamics in both testaments, or we will never be accurate with our own testimonies.  Like God, our testimony must reflect truth.  A true reflection shows all sides – The good – The Bad and The Ugly.  The multi facets of God have never been hidden, but contained in His testimony along with the evidence of His unmatchable character and the ultimate result of His earthly tests on the Cross-at Calvary.

So, on our next Mirror Getaway, our reflection should be a perfect match with the telling of our ‘God-story’.  After all, it’s no longer us who live, but Christ living in us, making our testimonies worthwhile regardless of the trials and tribulations we go through, and knowing that because Jesus overcame we too can overcome.  What a testimony!

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Arlene Hoffman is a member of the “Least of these Tribe” living in Miami as a freelance writer who seeks and serves. Read last's years birthday surprise by Arlene by clicking HERE

birthday surprise! It's Caro.

Happy Monday.
Today's post comes from Caro. She is no stranger to this blog. I have known her for quite some time. Through the years her passionate love for Jesus and godly insight have always blessed me. I pray that you would be encouraged greatly through this sweet yet profound post.

Jesus being Human

He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Psalms 18:19

What we know of Jesus as God we put on a holy pedestal that He completely deserves. We know that He is Holy, Majestic and Powerful but we also need to be reminded of His other awesome qualities. His humanity.

One of the things that brought me to faith was the humility that Jesus has, His willingness to serve us and to relate. To the forefront of our thoughts we know Jesus as God but why was it so important to show in the gospels that He is human also?

When I get to talk about Jesus to others I always go back to the fact that He understands. Understands what? Understands me… you… us. He knows what it feels like to be rejected, unloved, and knows what it is to weep. His human qualities let’s us approach him not in fear but assurance that he will understand. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

One of my favorites things to do is get coffee with Jesus. I love sitting on my couch or dinner table and just talk with Jesus.

I’m not sure if Jesus is a coffee or tea type a guy, but what I do know is that He wants to meet with me because He likes me. Yeah, and I’m pretty weird. And guess what….He likes you too.

It’s been a journey for me to read the Gospels and understand that Jesus was human just as me. It let’s me see Him in a new light, one that consist of longing to approach him more because I know He understands.



* Read more by Caro here (Seed Planters) and (I am a Martha)

birthday surprise! It's Andrea.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
This is my favorite holiday and because it is, my favorite person in the whole wide world is going to share with you. She is my best friend, my sister from another mother, my prayer warrior, and my gift from God. We have been watching each other since 1998 (inside joke, sorry). Andrea is funny, sweet, gentle, caring and all together lovely. What makes her so special though is her contagious love for Jesus and the Word. From the heart of God to one of the godliest women I know to you and now to you!
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Commit to Being Thankful

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Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.  The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9

It was November 1^st and I had just finished putting up my new calendar in my classroom.  I placed a picture of a turkey on Thanksgiving and Danny, my charming and lively student who had been watching me through the process exclaimed “It’s turkey day!” joyfully while flapping his arms and jumping up and down. I quickly explained to him “Danny, it’s Thanksgiving!  Yes, we have turkey on that day, but most importantly, we give thanks for all the good things we have.”  He stared at me for a few seconds and said, “like dinosaurs, daddy, and cheeseburgers?” I laughed amused at what he was thankful for and replied “yes Danny, like dinosaurs, daddy, and cheeseburgers.” 

 It was a simple conversation, yet, it was one that I needed more than him.  With so much to do and such little time, I am often one of those who has to-do lists a mile long and is less than patient and more like frazzled during the holiday season, but for that moment God used someone like Danny, a six year old, to make me stop and evaluate the condition of my heart and how I was going to enter this season. And this time around, I refuse to have nothing less but a thankful heart, one that extends past Thanksgiving and becomes the way I approach each day of my life.

You may be asking yourself, “so why should we enter this season with a thankful heart? And why is being thankful so important?” or perhaps, you may be thinking, “It’s been a horrible year, I don’t have anything to be thankful for.” I am here to tell you, that you cannot afford to have anything else but a heart of gratitude, whatever your circumstance may be. 

While in a prison cell in Rome, Paul found himself in less than joyous conditions waiting on Cesar’s decree over his life, and he decided to write a letter to the church of Philippi.  He told the church in chapter 4 of Philippians to rejoice, to pray with thanksgiving, to focus on what was true and noble, and also reminded them that he could do all things through Christ who strengthened him.  Paul was going through hardship and had every reason to choose to be depressed, lonely, and discouraged, yet his attitude only reflected thankfulness, strength, and peace.

So why should we have a thankful heart? Because it is God’s will for your life. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  Paul didn’t back down from this and he chose to focus his sight on God and not his troubles, and what took place in Paul’s heart was an outpouring of joy. Like Paul, you may find yourself in a prison today, not a literal prison but perhaps one built by bars of emotions, troubles, and fears. You want to break free, and the only way to is to begin to be grateful. Kay Smith explained once in a teaching that we cannot be depressed or bitter at the same time that we are being thankful, so get on the road and start counting your blessings.

You may be reading this and may be thinking, “I cannot think of one thing to be thankful for.  I have lost everything and I don’t feel I have a reason to rejoice. No one loves me and no one cares” and to that I say, that although I cannot understand your individual pain, I know what it is like to endure pain and experience loss.  My great season of depression and pain came when my parents divorced when I was 15, and for a year I committed to utter despair.  My mother, upon seeing my sadness, refused to let me drown in my state of misery. What did she remind me of during that time? Jesus, simply Jesus. I clung to Him and gave thanks to the Lord for the Lord, because He alone could give me the love and hope that I yearned for.  His yoke is easy and His burden is light, so cast your cares upon Him and give thanks for the gift of life.  It was during this time that I experienced a sweet dependence on God, one that would fire my relationship with him for the coming years. If you can’t find one thing to be thankful for, start with rejoicing in Him, because He alone can provide what we need.

It is said that while in that prison in Rome, God used Paul to spread the gospel within Cesar’s palace and to encourage the church in a way that would not have been possible if he had not been incarcerated. The way he accomplished this was not through complaining, doubting, or ingratitude towards God for allowing him to remain there. I cannot imagine what would have happened to Paul if he had begun to only notice all that was wrong with his situation.  In a prison, it is likely he would have only entered severe depression and been riddled with doubt. Instead, he committed to rejoicing, giving thanks, and focusing on God, the giver of life and every good gift, and in turn, Paul was filled with peace and was able to encourage others.

Where is your commitment to thankfulness in your life? Do you wake up each day with your focus on God and what is praiseworthy? Do you yearn for daily strength and peace in every situation? May our hearts say like Paul’s “Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I will say, rejoice!” in every season of our lives.

birthday surprise! It's Priscilla.

Happy Tuesday!
Summer of 2007 I had the privilege of traveling oversees, where I met Priscilla. It was so refreshing and sweet to meet a kindred spirit so far from home. As you will read a little more, from Priscilla herself, her upbringing is reflected in her life today: she loves the word of God, she loves God and she loves His people. How can you go wrong with that combo?! Friends, you will be blessed and encouraged by this post!

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A Huge Leap of Faith

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A little over four years ago, I began a relationship with a man who would turn my whole life upside down. I prayed, the Lord gave me peace, and I took a leap of faith. A leap that would change my life completely.

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A little background on myself, I grew up in a Christian home in Palestine, got saved when I was four, and have seen the hand of Lord work miraculously in my life since as far back as I can remember. I have God fearing parents who taught me and my brothers the Word of God. My Dad is a Pastor and he and my Mom taught us to put all our trust in the Lord and to live by faith. 

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Pedro and I were a just a few months away from getting married and we had no place to live. People kept asking me, “So, where are you going to live when you get married, Miami, Bethlehem, Jerusalem?” My answer was a simple “Don’t know, not worried.” My friends and extended family thought I was insane! Not only was I marrying a Dominican from America but I also had no idea where I was going to live. 

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Three months before getting married, I visited Miami to meet Pedro’s family and to visit the church that he attended and worked at. Before I came to Miami I asked the Lord to give me wisdom and to fill my heart with love or hate towards the church I was visiting and towards the place I would potentially call home. I also asked for peace and clarity, I didn’t want to have an ounce of doubt in my mind. I visited CCk and absolutely fell in love! I called my parents right away and told them how awesome the church was, how people are so friendly, how Hispanic culture is very similar to Arab culture, and that I would most likely fit right in. 

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I went back to Bethlehem and it was full on wedding planning mode from then, still not sure of where we would live but I knew that no matter where the Lord wanted us to be, I had peace, perfect peace and no matter what I was ready to take a leap of faith. At this point, it was either me leaving my family and moving or Pedro leaving his family and moving.

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Two months before we got married, I received a text from Pedro letting me know that after much praying our post marriage location had been decided and that we were moving to Miami. I knew I had to obey my future husband who the Lord placed in my life. So many emotions, so many thoughts ran through my mind at this point. I had two months to enjoy my family, plan a wedding, and pack. It hurt! I knew I was going to be loved, I knew I had a good church, and I knew that Pedro’s family would take me in as their own but it still hurt. I told my parents the news about the move and they were devastated but knew that God had a plan for me. A few weeks later my Dad had a heart attack, I blamed myself, I had broken his heart. His only daughter was moving to the other side of the world. 

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I was feeling bittersweet as my Daddy walked me down the aisle on my wedding day, my heart was aching but it was also overjoyed. It ached because I knew I was leaving my friends, my family and my life behind. Overjoyed because I was marrying the perfect man for me, starting a new life, making new friends, and gaining a family. After only being married for two weeks, my two bags were packed, I had said my goodbye’s and I was on a plane with my new husband to Miami- my mission field. 

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We’ve now been married for a little over 3 years and I serve at the best church on the planet with the greatest kids in the world. The ministry that the Lord placed me in, the one He had planned for me, is so rewarding and just to think that I could have missed out on all of it if I hadn’t taken that leap of faith, the leap that changed my life. It took me a few months to fully adjust to my new home and to get over my homesickness but now I don’t see myself anywhere else other than here, well until the Lord tells us to move again. Until then, I enjoy living in the perfect will of God; my Dad always says, “The best place to be, is where the Lord wants you to be” and this is so true.

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I encourage you to take a leap of faith at least once in your life, a leap so great, your life will change for the better. Dive in head first and trust that the Lord, the God that made you, has everything under control and His plans are better than yours, I did and I don’t regret it one bit!

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“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you and give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

birthday surprise! It's Marilyn.

Happy Monday! 
Today's post comes from Marilyn. In short, Marilyn is an anointed worship leader, fabulous cosmetologist, and a wonderful example of godliness. Yup, she's a diamond in the ruff and I am blessed to call her friend. May the Lord bless you and speak wisdom into your life through one of my favorite passages and this encouraging post. 

It’s never to late!

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 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” Ruth 1:16-17

This passage is known to many as "one of the most beautiful statements of commitment in History".  It is known as such not only because it was said from Ruth to Naomi (widowed and had lost her sons, one being Ruth's husband), but also because Ruth made this commitment to God. She spoke this covenant at a time where anyone else would have thrown the towel in. After much hardship and tragedy in her life, Ruth was left with nothing but her bitter mother-in-law and a sister-in-law who decided to go back to the land of Moab, which was her home.

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I think most, if not all of us, know the story of Naomi and Ruth, which, as I mentioned previously, had lost their spouses. Ruth followed Naomi to Bethlehem where she met Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi's husband and a man of great wealth. Boaz found favor in Ruth and was able to redeem Ruth as his wife after receiving a property settlement that Naomi had sold. Only after a relative who was next in line to possess the property chose to not redeem it because it required marrying Ruth. Long story short, Ruth and Boaz married and conceived Obed who was the father of Jesse, who was the Father of David, who was one of the greatest kings of Israel, writer of the Psalms, etc.

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While going through this story and asking God for guidance in this post, one thing became evident to me: It's Never Too Late, everything is In God's Time! In looking back to the things we've gone through, we notice that we may have grown sad or bitter. It may be the very thing we are going through at this moment that causes us to panic, because there's a burden that has come along with it and doesn't allow us to leave this situation completely in God's hands. The good news is that the same God that was with Naomi and Ruth in their "desert time" is here with us, ready to give the best of what He has prepared for us, His children. All He asks is that we believe in our hearts and minds as stated in Jeremiah 29:11-13

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For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 

I emphasize on this point today because sometimes we only put those "burdens" in a back burner. We try to move on in life, even to the point of “doing things for God” without having completely surrendered. We see those same things brought to our "attention" again in the most random moments that cause us to lose focus on what's most important in life: our constant devotion to God, who brings us all the things that will EVER matter in life,  
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But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

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Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this. Psalm 37:4-5

In reading verses 16 & 17 of Ruth 1, I can almost imagine Ruth wiping her tears and taking a deep breath knowing that she had to let go of all that she once knew. She made a choice to put all her trust and faith in God as she spoke those words out loud! There's nothing too hard for God, AT ALL. I encourage you to take some quiet time to meditate and empty yourself wholly to God. In that complete intimacy He will fill you with all that He has. As you go day by day living proactively for Him you will never need look back in regret and instead look forward with a cheerful heart.

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