An Overflow of Thankfulness and the Faith to Move Mountntains

"Overflow with thankfulness" , "faith" , these words Christians hear often. We hear them so much because we are in constant need to have an overflow of thankfulness. We have a constant need to have a faith that believes that God is working out great things, even though we can't see them.

Being thankful opens our hearts and spirits to receive from the Lord. Have you ever had a relationship with an unthankful person? It shuts you off from wanting to give to them, but it also shuts them off from accepting what you have to give. It works the same way with our relationship with the Lord. He is the perfect giver and He is so excited to give us abundantly more than all we can ask, think or imagine. But it is in our gratitude for the goodness that He has already done that we can imagine all the goodness that He still has to give! If the only thing you have to be thankful for is your salvation, then you have enough to praise Him for eternity!!

My father in law has been a pastor for 30 years, and he recently shared a story about an older man in his congregation. Everyday when my father in law would shake hands with that man he would ask him how he was doing. That man's response was consistent, "I'm drinking from the saucer!" One day my father in law asked him what he meant. His response showed how wonderful his understanding of the Lord is. He said, "God fills us until we run over, so I'm just drinking from the saucer!" We should all be drinking from the saucer.

And faith, oh sweet faith!! If you were to ask, most Christians would say that the opposite of faith is fear or doubt. But a very dear friend "spirit slapped" me one day. She asked me what the opposite of faith is and just like any Pharisee would say, I sarcastically and mockingly said doubt. She said no and I was taken back! What is the opposite of faith?! --> Having a plan. <-- 😳👊🏻 I know right?!

Here's the deal, God has THE plan so we don't need A plan. Yes, we prayerfully work to follow His lead. That's because His lead is ALWAYS deeper into His heart. ❤️ In that following, He makes a way that we never could have imagined!! So we keep our hands off, we stop trying to control what happens, and we thankfully take each and every step that God leads us in.

“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭11:23-24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

"Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth that you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness." Colossians 2:7 NIV

Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for reminders and little nuggets of confirmation that you give us along the way. You work ALL THINGS out for the good of those who love you. So let us not grow weary in trying to figure out the plan. Help us to take our hands off because you are more than able to exceed every plan we could think up! Help us to hunger and thirst for more of you! As we dive into your word, show us a new side of who you are. Show us a new way in which we need you! Awaken us to travel the journey deeper into your heart. Awaken us to become increasingly aware of your goodness and your provision! Let us dream big, abundant dreams, and believe you for exceeding them all! Let us remain thankful through the whole journey!!

- In Jesus holy name, amen!!

~Awaken Us~

Brenna Stanford

Young Living Member # 2645436

Oil for today: Envision

This essential oil blend was formulated to stimulate feelings of creativity and resourcefulness, encouraging renewed faith in the future and the strength necessary to achieve your dreams.

Stripped for a Purpose

I have written, deleted, re-written, and deleted again this post. There are so many things that can accompany this topic. There are so many ways that God has stripped us, is stripping us and will strip us even further. There is no way that I can do justice in an attempt to write about all of the ways, all of the whats that we are being stripped from or the hows that it is being done. What God has spoken is the why. Why would God take things from us? Why...

 

God loves you and He desires your love of Him. I know, I know, that's elementary, but that the point! We complicate things, we mess things up, we add measuring sticks, we do so much and God is saying "Just stop. Let me love you and you love me."

  

God is calling out, "Come to me. Lay down your burdens AND your dreams. Lay down the expectations and the questions. Lay down the worry, the disappointment, the confusion. Lay down EVERYTHING, and put on love."

Colossians 3:1-17

3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 

Y'all, it's not easy. It is not promised to be easy, this scripture talks about all of the things that we must strip ourselves of to walk in the way of our Savior. And if we aren't walking with our Savior, are we really accepting His salvation?

 

So why?

Simply put, He knows what's best, and we can't even fathom it. This is God. This is the one who spoke and creation happened. What do you study? What intrigues you? Is it art? Is it psychology? Is it the human body? Is it the universe? Is it science, animals, plants, math, design? Whatever it is, it in all of its awe inspiring amazingness that makes you giddy inside, is only a small portion of our Creator. There is no limit with him! If you could do anything, and remove all fear of failure, what would it be? Why would you choose to do that one thing? Now, take all of that and give that to God. Watch Him take it and magnify it beyond all measure! God has so much more for us than what we are allowing ourselves.

 

We get wrapped up in life and all of its demands that we are forgetting that sin being in this world is why we have to live like we do. Think about it. What did Adam & Eve do? They were stripped bare and all they did was walk with the Lord and enjoy the world He gave them. Only after sin came in was there worry about clothing, food, and more. We were created with a purpose, a purpose to love and adore the Lord our God. That's it. Now, because of sin we have to work to provide for our families and all of the other things life demands. We are not sinners for doing this, if we are being responsible and godly people we will do this, but this is not our purpose on this earth.

 

So once more, here is a message, do your job, and do it well, BUT come to the Lord! He will take your farther, He will blow your mind with what He has in store for you! There is abundance, in many many forms! Step out of the box and quit thinking about finances constantly, God's got this, and even more!

 

Today, take a moment and let God strip you of all of your plans. Then put on His love and walk in it. Let that love lead you wherever He wants to take you. You won't regret it!

 

~Awaken Us~

Brenna Stanford

 

Young Living Member # 2645436

 

P.S. Clarity is the oil I want to highlight right now. Do you ever get brain fog? It is literally like a haze in your mind effecting what you can take in, process, or even see. This is an oil I use more and more every day. I absolutely love the way it works with my limbic system (and more chemistry and science I don't understand) to shine a light and clear out the fog! My eyes open wider, my mind processes better and I can hear the Lord a little easier! Enjoy some clarity and walk in love!