3 Blogs that Spoke to Me

If you enjoy lounging at the beach with a good book, then you may also like reading blogs.  One of the best features of reading a blog is connecting with the writer as well as other readers. If their writing sparks a memory, feeling, or resolution to something you have been contemplating; then you can comment at the bottom of the article.  If you don’t have time to dilly dally, you can just press the like button. However if someone pops into your head who would be blessed by reading the same article, then you can even share on Facebook or Instagram.  If one person would benefit, then there are likely more people out there who may also be interested.

Since my collection of blogs is piling up, I thought I would share three that spoke to me.  So grab something refreshing to drink, and get comfy…we have some reading to do.  Enjoy!

A Few of my Favorite Blogs

Many years ago I remember waking up in the middle of the night and picking up my bible to read because it was a sure fire way to make my eyelids droop.  For some reason the bible just seemed dry, difficult to read, and not applicable to my life.

If you are in that dry season right now, then you need to read, “What to Read In the Bible When You Don’t Know What to Read.” Jazmin Frank discusses how she relies on the Psalms because they are short emotion driven prayers. She even has a 150 day guide to reading the Psalms that you can download. I love to read the Psalms, clip out parts that speak to me and then rearrange them into what I call a Found poem.

My Found Poem Inspired From the Psalms

Heavenly Father, my thoughts ponder your goodness.

My fear is cast out.

Your righteousness covers my sins.

Shine your heavenly light, for I’m struggling to follow you.

The brush is dense and vines trip my feet.

Forgive me Lord for not uprooting the sin as soon as it sprung in my path.

Weeds quickly branched out in all directions and now my path is completely overgrown.

Tall trees tower over me.

Your light seems so far away, so dim.

The path behind appears wide, clear, and safe.

But, I hear your urgent pleas calling me forward.

When I turn my head towards your direction, your strength presses me closer.

Jesus, you are the light of my whole world.

I need you to shine brilliantly into my mind and heart.

Block out this darkness.

Show me your truth.

Give me your wisdom so my reactions align with your love.

Where I see a tragedy, you see an opportunity to display your goodness.

I acknowledge that I am helpless without you Lord.

Only you can soften my heart.

Unleash your amazing power.

Open my unseeing eyes and draw me close.

I can trust you, only you can see dangers around the bend.

Help me Lord to react in a way that honors Christ.

To find a clear spot to rest.

To know which direction to turn.

I’m fearful step forward, so I close my eyes tight.

And I hear your words rebuke the fierce wind and the pelting downpour.

Once the wind quiets, I dare to speak.

I praise you Lord.

You are my healer.

You restore me.

Thank you LORD

How to Overcome Temptation Like Jesus

I don’t know about you but I love chocolate, so it is really difficult for me to stop my hand from slipping into the candy dish whenever I pass. I think temptation sometimes works the same way, we say we won’t do it anymore.  But then as we attempt to walk past the temptation, we reach out instead.  Why? Because that’s what we’ve always done.

In order to overcome temptation, we need Jesus which is why I really enjoyed reading Ashley’s blog about how Jesus overcame Temptation. She gives biblical examples of how Jesus rebuked Satan’s lies with scripture. She reminds us that if we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, then we receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has the power to overcome temptation.  By hiding scripture in our heart and speaking it out loud, we can overcome temptation.

Growing Our Faith

I doubt that many people actually like taking orders.  For some reason, I like to think about it and only do what I think is a good idea too.  Yeah, I didn’t last long in the U.S. Army.  If they tell you to dig a hole, you dig it.  No questions asked.  No thinking involved, just do it!

You know you have a problem when you don’t even trust GPS.  Seriously, SIRI and I had a full blown out argument the other morning as I braved the interstate on the way to work.  However, I have marveled at the way some people just follow the travel directions.  Cassie Lynn Douglas speaks about how people of faith should pay attention where they are headed, instead of just moving on auto-pilot.

Cassie gives four ways that we can water our spiritual relationship, but one in particular really spoke to me.  She suggested to grow our faith by allowing more Godly influences into our lives, and remove the bad influences.

In the same way that we are what we eat, we are what we listen to.  We are what we watch.  We are who we hang out with.

But what if I keep the candy dish empty?

I found that I needed to be mindful of what I’m listening to.  If the radio, songs, or person’s message doesn’t align with God’s truth, I turned it off. Yes, I know what you are thinking.  I rarely watch television anymore and I’m listening to Christian music more.

I also took the same approach with social media.  If people post things regularly that aren’t good for a child to view, then I hide their posts.  And you what?  I feel better!  The heaviness is gone.  My spirit is calm and joyful.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, then try it…maybe it will work for you too.

If  any of these blogs have “clicked” with you, then please share it with a friend. That would be a blessing to both your friend and the writer.

Which Topics Spoke to You?

Please take a moment and share which blog or sentence spoke to you.   I’d love to hear from you!

May I offer you a gift?

I’m a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. I’m married to a firefighter, am a mother of two college age sons and one lovable rescue pup. My new day job is as an Instructional Designer but my background is teaching Elementary school.  I love learning and sharing with my friends.

So, I’m looking for online friends to grow spiritually alongside me. As my online friend, I spend time praying for you everyday. My goal is to specifically design encouraging gifts to help you know deep in your soul just how dearly loved by Jesus you are.

If you would like a free digital image of  “It is better to take refuge in the Lord”,  click the link to join my email list.  

Every week you will receive a new image to encourage you!  

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