I'm A Survivor

Volume 13 Issue 11

Greeting in His Name,

Wow! We are entering the final month of 2024, and it's time to reflect. What obstacles have you conquered along the way? What challenges did you boldly overcome? Did you survive? I hope you can confidently say, 'I Survived.' So, with that being said, today's blog is titled "I'm A Survivor!" Read it and find the inspiration, conviction, and powerful questions to drive you forward. Embrace your journey as you move into 2025!

shalom and love,

heidi

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It really feels good to conquer something. The feeling of joy, success, triumph, and peace all come with surviving something. Some years ago, my ringtone was Beyonce's; I'm a Survivor. You may say, "Hey lady, you're a CHRISTIAN". And my reply is, "Yes, I am". But when I heard the words to the chorus of that song: I'm a survivor (what), I'm not gonna give up (what), I'm not gon' stop (what), I'm gonna work harder (what), I'm a survivor (what), I'm gonna make it (what), I will survive (what), keep on survivin' (what). I thought, 'What a theme for life.' Don't give up, don't stop, work harder, make it, survive. To tell yourself this daily is like fuel to a fire. It will penetrate hopelessness and doubt and give you the esteem to make it. I have heard people say words are spirit; if they are spirit, they can determine your life. To throw in the towel is easy, but to stay in the fight to give it all you have is momentous. It is life. It sifts out those who are wheat from those who are tares. It separates the goats from the sheep. It distinguishes the men [women] from the boys [girls]. Who is the Champion in your life?

For a Christian to survive is to know you have a Savior. It's like God's Word given to King Jehoshaphat; there is no need for you to fight, for this battle is the Lord's [https://youtu.be/tl3GrkRHsvk?si=PT-9NXgFaEEOSKFj]. If we turn every stone over to God as David did, the rock will land directly in the center of our Goliath's head, and we will win. What about Esther? The book does not mention God's name, but I've heard people say God's footprint is all through it. She trusted God for her people by fasting and praying, and even though the judgment was not reneged upon, her people were given the right to fight for their lives. When the enemy tries to scheme to make things bad for you, God has angels on the other end, making it work for your good. I'm telling you I have a great cloud of witnesses for myself of survival. The Bible is a survivor's manual. As a matter of fact, for the Bible to exist and continue to exist, it is survival to the fullest. Years ago, in my second year of study as a local preacher. I found that some of our books were no longer in print, which meant we had to try to find someone who had them or search for them online, and still find that they were so outdated that people could put an outrageous price on them because of their scarcity. That made me think of the Bible, as ancient as it is, still surviving. And the wrong thing for Americans, and a scary thing, too, is that we have such a wealth of material for survival, and we don't use it. Most don't pick up the Bible until they are in dire need or heading to church, and not always then. Because America had such a rich faith and because we have such a wealth of material, I know we will be judged, I mean assessed, richly. Why has God given America such accountability? Why has He entrusted us with such knowledge, and we do nothing with it? Again, I say it's easy to throw in the towel, it's hard to survive, but if you survive, it is MOMENTOUS! It's LIFE!

I have been assessing my walk with God and challenging myself to improve. I remember those beginning days of walking with the Lord. It was like I was in my first relationship, all giddy. I can say that because I know you were, too. You would stay up most of the night searching the scripture [you thought I was going to say talking on the phone - I'm talking about our relationship with God], not thinking about how you got to go to work in the morning. Or you lay before Him in prayer all night, trusting that He was there listening to your every word. And every time the doors of somebody's church were open, you were there. You were 'IN LOVE'.

But know, there are dry seasons in this love life with Jesus. I have been, and I know of others who, as my former late Pastor (Rev. Dr. John C. Evans, Jr.) explained in Bible study one night, have experienced or are experiencing a dry season. You question whether God hears you or if His presence is even near. You ask whether you are pleasing to God and if you are doing ALL that He would want you to do. And sometimes you think, GOD...? You know what I mean? My Pastor said that during that time, don't stop doing what is familiar to you in God because God is right there. So my mind says to survive is to take Beyonce's song as advice: Don't give up, don't stop, work harder, make it, survive!

Perseverance is key in the Christian journey.

LIFE QUOTE

“Once you wake up and smell the coffee, it’s hard to go back to sleep." [SURVIVE]

-Fran Drescher

Let Us Laugh!

At Sunday School they were learning how God created everything, including human beings. Johnny was especially intent when the teacher told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs.

Later in the week, his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill and said, "Johnny, what is the matter?"

Johnny responded, "I have pain in my side. I think I'm going to have a wife."

https://www.swapmeetdave.com/Humor/Religious.htm

Hope to see you Next Month....

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