Tag: #Godpotential

I Believe!

by Angela K. Crow
Mt. Rainier

Do you believe God parted the Red Sea as though it were dry ground? Do you believe the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down? Do you believe God shut the mouths of lions, quenched flames of fire and placed Jonah in the belly of a whale? Do you believe Noah built an ark to save his family from the flood? I could go on and on through scripture how God saved His people, preformed miracles and changed lives through the faith of His people.

I believe because I have seen first hand in my own life how God spared my life from a tragic car accident, saved me from an abusive relationship, brought good out of my mistakes and bad decisions, and I could on and on about that as well.

We all have our blanks? How do you fill in the blank? What have you seen God do in your life that causes you to believe?

I believe because God saved me from________________________________________.

How has God changed your life so much that you know it could only be Him?

So why not trust Him with this?

Whatever your ‘this’ is right now. That daunting thing that looks overwhelming, but you know God brought you to it. It reminds me of the song lyrics, ‘I’ve seen You move, You move the mountains, and I believe I will see You do it again.’ Friend, when we’ve seen God work in our lives before, we can believe He will do it again. If we believe we can receive everything He has for us, in full measure and abundance. If we believe we will receive. Hold tight to that confidence- not in ourselves but in what God can do in and through us when we believe, have faith and trust Him with the results.

This also comes with a warning; it probably won’t look like what we thought, but we can trust God with the outcome and believe where He is leading us will be even better than we ever imagined for ourselves.

When you get a chance, read through Hebrews chapter 11. Refresh yourself in one chapter with what all God has achieved through those who believed.

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Innocence

by Angela K. Crow

I love God’s heart. For a lot of us our childhood memories come with a sense of innocence. I had a ton of great memories on our front porch. It brings back so many images to my mind. A place of firsts. Firsts certainly contain a load of innocence. First memory, first word, first step, laughter, singing, loss, tears, family and friends, music out the bedroom window, swinging, pets, long conversations, sleepy eyes, fireflies, hellos, and goodbyes.

First bike, first car, first crush, wedding day jitters, first house, first job, first baby, singing lullabies. I could go on and on. Even though our front porch saw a lot of these firsts, for me, it also was the place I first lost some of my innocence. But that one memory does not have to taint all the others. I was reminded that God restores our innocence. Through all the things we have done since our more innocent days of childhood; We can rest assured God has redeemed it all through His Son, Jesus.

Not only to our level of childlike memories, but to His superlative standards of innocence. That brings a new level of renewed hope and joy, as we travel the high road, looking to the Rock for our comfort and protection. God loves us that much. His heart is so full of love for us that He chose to save us and restore our innocence so we can be free.

From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2

I look up to the mountains- does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! Psalm 121:1-2

He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Psalm 37:6

The Truth in a Nutshell

by Angela K. Crow

Let’s get straight to the point. God is bigger than ALL of this! Anything to the contrary comes from a place of fear and panic and is nothing but diabolical.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) God has always provided. He will continue to provide and protect His people. This is the same God who shut the mouths of lions. God is not the author of confusion and chaos.

Let us be the calm in the storm. Let us sing praises to His name and be grateful for the little things we usually take for granted. Don’t drink the chaos Kook-aid, ya’ll. (I am pretty sure that is a long, lost proverb.) We can be smart, stay safe and not be fearful.

No matter what happens, God is with us. We can trust Him with the outcome. Share this truth with someone today who might need a word of encouragement in the middle of the storm.

When this is all over, go on that trip you’ve been thinking about for years, take the leap of faith and do that thing God has been nudging you to do, get out and enjoy God’s creation in nature, see other parts of the world…start marking those items off your bucket list. If you don’t have a bucket list, it is an excellent time to make one.

Be kind. Share with others in need. Show love. God’s got this…and us!

By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Hebrews 11:33-34

Masking the Truth

by Angela K. Crow

I can relate to the raccoon on some level. I wore a mask in public for many years. Hiding truths in our lives can be like wearing a mask. We are masking the lies of our secret lives.

Anytime we feel we have to wear a mask in public and we are living in fear of someone seeing the truth about us, it is a huge red flag that we need to change things in our life and face the reality of who we are in private. If that doesn’t match up to who we are in pubic, it’s time for an evaluation.

I’m claustrophobic so the thought of crawling on my belly through a dark cave and running into cobwebs or worse, is suffocating.  But, that is what I did for many years by letting the truth of who I was in that season of life keep me in fear, in the dark, hiding from my truth and afraid to be seen or asked any questions. It was icky, like walking a massive cobweb that you can’t shake off.

I say in season, because at our core, that is not who we are or was meant to be. But sometimes we are in a season of life where we are allowing the world and the enemy to win the battle. We might not know how to fight the battle yet. But God will help us. He is the One person we can’t hide the truth. Even if we are very good at masking it to others, God knows our hearts and everything about us. I learned the hard way how miserable it is to live two lives. We may get away with it on the surface – but we are the ones it truly hurts. Being honest with God and ourselves brings honor and an integrity that leads to ultimate joy and peace.

Once we are free, we can stand up right and walk a straight path unafraid of the truth. That is a freedom beyond words that I am so grateful to receive.

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

No Limits

by Angela K. Crow

Don’t put limits on yourself or what God can do through you. Are your goals for yourself set too low? Release your dreams to God who knows His plans for you and see what He can do.

God created the sky and beyond. Keep your focus on eternity and the kingdom. It is time to soar above your perceived limitations. He put the stars within reach- all you have to do is look up. You are taller when you are on your knees.

You will discover potential where you least expect it. Get in the game. Be an MVP, throw out the first pitch without fear of failure. Expect the best (of yourself) because that is what God wants for you and He will help you get there. Be confident, not in who you are and what you can do, but who God is and what He can do through you.

His promises stand strong as He blesses your life abundantly, reverently and masterfully as only He can orchestrate. Spending time with the Spirit enriches your knowledge, refreshes your soul and brings clarity to your mind.

Don’t underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit which lives within you. Your body is a temple. The Father sees all, knows all and can reach all. You are a beautiful flower in the garden of the Master Gardender.

 “For I know the plans I have for you”, says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

Divine Connections

by Angela K. Crow

There is so  much potential in a day when we stay open to God’s plan.

Do you ever pray about divine appointments, connections and interventions? This is something I recently became more aware of and started praying about on my journey.

It amazes me to see how God puts people in my path to help me. Recently I was given the opportunity to help someone else.

Of all the people in the San Francisco airport on so many different flights and headed to different destinations, each on their own unique journey, God still connected me to someone who I feel needed to hear my story and God experiences.

Do you ever stop to think about all the decisions we make throughout the day and why we make them or how sometimes you change your mind at the last minute and do something totally different?

I now see these as nudges from God.

I had just arrived in the airport and found my gate. I had a lengthy layover, so I headed off to get something to eat. The whole time I am wondering where to get food, but I had already decided I would go back to my gate to eat it.

The first place I came to was a deli. My first thought was to just get something there but then I decided to see what my other options were.

I came upon a Pie Five and decided to try that instead. I hopped in line behind another woman and we ordered our food. We stood together at the end of the counter waiting for it to arrive without saying a word.

I still had in my mind as soon as I got it, I would head to my gate. But when our food came out, she turned to me and asked a simple question. “Do you think they would mind if I sat at those tables?”

The establishment we were at didn’t have any tables and she was referring to the food place next to it.

I first answered with an, “I’m not sure.” But quickly changed my course to join her saying, “we can try it.”

As we sat at tables next to each other, we started eating without saying another word at first. But then I felt the nudge to start a conversation with her. I began by simply asking where she was going, if she was headed home…you know the normal airport trivia.

When she dealt the questions back in my direction, my trip to Mt. Shasta and the reason I had been there became our topic of discussion for the next several moments. Of course, that led to the accident and my story which is my testimony of how God spared my life and changed it forever through a tragic year.

Out of that I described the relationship I now have with Christ that I didn’t have before. She inquired, “So that is real? You can have a relationship with God?”

Several questions followed and I knew why I was put there, in her path. She told me she struggles with believing God is real and that she really wants to believe that she can have a relationship with Him. She went on to say she knows He loves her deeply. She just hasn’t experienced what others seem to have so it makes her question it.

She explained how she sat next to a man on her last flight who also had a message for her. During our conversation I admitted to her that I had prayed for divine connections and felt she was one of them. Looking astonished she said the man on the plane had told her the same thing.

God placed at least two people in her path that day (maybe more before the day was through) to show her He is indeed real and encourage her to keep trying. Only God can orchestrate that kind of divine connection. I was blessed to see it firsthand and be able to share the Good News with her.

What a beautiful reminder that God is still at work, Amen!

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. Ephesians 3:18