My Walk with God 🌱

"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?"  - Psalm 8: 3-4 On the second to last day of the year, one cannot help but reflect on the year that we are leaving behind and the year that is awaiting our arrival. This year has been one of the most difficult for me, but it has also come with an added portion of God's grace, comfort, strength, and providence. I have had some leaves and twigs pruned, and I have also been placed in a position anticipating the continued growth and sprouting of new ones. The pruning process is never a pleasant one, but it is a necessary one for the health of any plant, or tree, and even us as individuals. It is with utmost gratitude that I will end this year and begin the new year, gratitude for what God continues to do with me, in me, for me and through me, even when I don't understand or see the b

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means God with us). - Matthew 1: 22-23 🌱 Immanuel. What a comforting name. This was God's best gift wrapped 'present' to us - His 'presence' with humanity. This gift came filled with a true knowledge of God's loving regard for us, His salvation and paid ransom for us from sin, to show us the path in the here and now, and hope for His eternal kingdom.  What a precious experience to have witnessed and interacted with Jesus, been touched by Him, to have shared a laugh with Him or listen to His precious voice teaching through parables and sermons. All we have is the historical accounts to hold on to.  The good news that resonates from then until now is that this same God still wants to 'be with us', and this time forever. No matter the challenges of this life, we have the hope of seeing Him ag

  "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life." - Psalm 143:8 🌱 Oftentimes, on a morning, I wake up to the sound of birds singing by my window. I confess I am sometimes a bit reluctant to wake up very early, but hearing the birds brightly singing is a beautiful encouragement for me to push forward and embrace the day with joy and enthusiasm. Why do the birds sing? Research says their dawn chorus can have several purposes, be it for marking territory or attracting/re-assuring mates, but the crucial part about it is the timing when the world is quietest and their sound can carry far. The Bible often mentions examples of thoughts and prayers being lifted up to God in the morning and its effects in strengthening individuals in God for the day. God delights in the prayers of His children and I sometimes wonder if all our early morning prayers are as beautiful to Him as the singing

El Roi - The God who Sees Me So Hagar gave this name to the LORD who had spoken to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “Here I have seen the One who sees me!” -Genesis 16:13 🌱 Sometimes it is in the most unlikely of places, when we are at our lowest, that God reveals Himself to us, as the God who sees us, and is truly present with us. The enemy takes delight in our despair, but our Heavenly Father is about giving us hope and a meaningful future. The Bible is filled with examples of individuals like you and me, men and women who have had the blessed privilege of having their head lifted with joy and dignity by the divine hand. Let's continue to look up to Him and find our comfort, strength and validation from the One who sees, knows, understands, and is with us through it all.  Be blessed by the following selection. Which character's story touches us and encourages us the most? 🎧🙏🏼 The God who Sees [Nicole C. Mullen]

"When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh."  - Matthew 2:10-11 🌱 Have you ever looked forward to an event for such a long time that it felt surreal when it happened? I am pretty sure the wise men of Matthew 2 must have felt this way too. They would have been carefully studying the ancient prophecies, eg. Isaiah 7:14 which said "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."  They would have become familiar with and recognized the signs of the imminence of the Messiah's birth, and with  God's continual guidance, they made a voyage in faith to seek the Messiah. According to the biblical account, their faith was rewarded, and they were able to present the symbolic gifts they though