My Happy Place

I'm in my happy place. It's always the same for me, the first moment I see the ocean. For me it seems like I'm standing face to face with God. Nothing in between us. I'm faced with the expanse of His power and greatness. I wish you were here!

Sundays…a gift from God.

Today is Sunday.  I’ve always loved Sundays. It’s that special day of the week that belongs to you. The hours are yours to do with what you wish. When I was young, ‘’back in the day” Sunday was the day the busyness and sounds of everyday life were set to pause. It was the day we slept in, stayed a little longer in our pajamas and the day my dad cooked the most wonderful breakfast ever prepared.  Sometimes there were Sunday drives or backyard BBQ’s or trips to the beach. I have wonderful memories of Sundays and I cherish every one of them.

Every week has a Sunday. God has given each of us a Sunday, even if the world calls it another name. For those of us who work on Sunday it may be Friday, or Tuesday, or even Thursday. No matter the name the calendar gives, it’s our day. The day we own each hour. The day we decide how it’s spent.

Sunday’s are a gift from God. Twenty-four precious hours that belong to you. Renew your spirit, revive your soul, rest your body. Reclaim Sunday and enjoy your special day!

Psalm 118:24 “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it”

In the beginning...

 Everything has a beginning. A baby is born, the beginning of life. Vows are exchanged the beginning of a marriage. A foundation is laid, the beginning of a new home. The sun comes up, the beginning of a new day.

Everything has a beginning. I’ve been thinking about beginnings lately, or more specifically the importance of beginning right. You may have heard the saying get off on the right foot. The free dictionary defines it as to begin doing something in a way that is likely to succeed. Success! We all want it, but do we always plan for it?

There is another saying that goes, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Ouch! Almost everything has a plan; we just don’t always follow it. You know, like we don’t pre-heat the oven or follow the recipe or we don’t read the instructions and end up with a pile of nuts, bolts and screws, you know the drill.

I love God’s word. It changed my life. His word was the beginning for me. I found out He had a plan for my life, a plan of purpose, a future filled with hope. Have you ever thought about how both the Old and New Testaments begin? Genesis 1:1 says, In the beginning was God and John 1:1 starts, In the beginning was the word and the word was God.

I can’t help but wonder how different our lives would be if in all of our beginnings it could be written…in the beginning was God.  What if every new day began with God? What if all of the “news” in our lives began with God: a marriage, a career, and the birth of a child, a diet and on and on? What if we never tried to do it ourselves and then asked God to help us out of our failed plan but instead asked Him to be part of our plan from the start.

God’s word tells us He has a plan. His word tells His ways are better than ours. I love this scripture found in the Message Bible. It simply says, we plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it. Proverbs 16:9

My hope for you today and every day is that you will find God in your beginnings and He will make your plans succeed.

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. Jeremiah 29:11

Season of Prayer - Lesson 1 Why Bother

https://soundcloud.com/sherry-griffith-miller/summer-of-prayer-why-bother-lesson-1

There is a power available in the twentieth century that is virtually untapped, a privilege almost wholly neglected, prayer. We have looked at prayer as a necessary religious exercise. We have reduced one of the most amazing, powerful, incredible realities available to us to something dull, laborious and boring yet prayer is anything but those things. No wonder some take the attitude of why bother to pray. Sherry takes a look at prayer in way you may have never thought of and the reasons you will want to pray.

Never Give Up!

During my prayer time this morning I found myself praying this for someone, Lord give them the "want to" the "how to" and the "can do." Sometimes we know the "need to" but we don't even have the desire, or the unction. We may have the desire but we don't even know where to begin. And almost always we can't do it in our own strength. Let this be our prayer today. God give me the "want to" the "how to" and the "can do." Let's do this! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Cheerful Not Fearful

Don't you love it when God drops little nuggets in our heart? Yesterday as I was running around getting ready for work (not in my prayer closet) the Lord dropped this in my heart. "Be a cheerful giver, not a fearful giver."

I started laughing and said the same thing I almost always say to God when He speaks to me this way, Wow, that's good God! I don't know what God is asking of you to give today. Maybe it's finances, maybe it's your time, maybe He wants you to give Him control of that situation. Whatever God is asking of you don't be afraid. Have joy in knowing at the end of our giving there is always blessing! God loves a cheerful giver and He loves you!

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

        2 Corinthians 9:7

Reality Check for 2015

 The urban dictionary defines reality check as a statement or action that helps you see what is really happening or possible.  Some would call it a wake up call to get real, or confronting or acknowledging the facts about something and thus dispelling unrealistic notions.

Really? If you’ve known me for a while you’ve probably heard me say that I believe my purpose in life is give others hope. I love to say, if God can do the things He has done in my life there is no telling what He can do in yours. I am the first to tell you God had absolutely nothing to work with when He got me! I did not know one scripture and everything I believed about God, church and His people was wrong. If I were Him I might have thrown up my hands and declared this one is impossible. I am living proof there is hope for everyone!

I believe the promise that God has given me and you for 2015 is that He is going to turn Impossibilities into Realities.  We all have circumstances in our lives that look pretty much impossible. There is just no way, nothing we can do to turn them around. And guess what? Reality check is, that’s absolutely true. At least it’s true if you are trying to do it on your own. How do I know? Because the Bible tells me so!

Let’s start 2015 with a Reality Check, not defined by the urban dictionary but by God’s word. We can find this reality check in Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27 and again in Luke 18:27. Wow do you think God was trying to make a point? Jesus speaking in these verses said, with men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

The reality is, with men or trying to do it on your own, yes it is impossible. But friends I have great news. We don’t have to do it alone! With God all things are possible. It’s a New Year and new Reality Check. With God those things that seem impossible are possible. God wants to turn your Impossibilities into Realities.

This is my New Year’s prayer for you, that in every situation you will take a reality check. Not according to the world’s definition but according to God’s truth. Go for the impossible in 2015. You are not alone!

Luke 1:37 - For with God nothing shall be impossible.