Whatever your day has brought you – PRAISE HIM!

If it brought you sun, praise HIM – If it brought you rain, praise HIM

If it brought you a bonus, praise HIM – If it brought you an unemployment check, praise HIM

If it brought you a new car, praise HIM – If it brought you news you need a new motor, praise HIM

If it brought you warm hugs and kisses, praise Him – If it brought you despair and grief, praise HIM

If it brought you a trip to your favorite place, praise HIM – If it brought you to the hospital or doctor office, Praise HIM

If it brought you gladness and smiles, praise HIM – If it brought you tears and sorrow, praise HIM

If it brought you peace and harmony, praise HIM – If it brought you uncertainty and fighting, praise HIM

If it brought you encouragement and direction, praise HIM – If it brought you discouragement and road blocks, praise HIM

If it brought you good news of promotion or healing, praise Him – If it brought you heartbreaking news or disease, praise HIM

If it brought you smiles and laughter, praise HIM – If it brought you anger and yelling, praise Him

Whatever this day has brought you, place your hope in the Lord and simply praise HIM

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B-udGxwLV0

Psalm 9:2
I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD1H29Ps8l8

Psalm 34:1
I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K44trVhtZX4

Marie Wikle the Founder and President of Spreading Joy Corporation wants to empower everyone to make a difference and give without guilt.

Here is a personal Warm Welcome to Spreading Joy. You’ll find links to interviews, no cost ways to make a difference and other things that are guaranteed to bring a smile to your heart.

We want to rise above the discouragement of high prices, the obstacle of dead ends and the disappointment of our comfort zone. We want to be the change that is so desperately needed.

The post Whatever The Day May Bring first appeared on CHRISTIAN REP.

Psalm 46

One Sunday morning not long ago, I was doing some daily Bible reading. Ps 46 was in the que. As I was reading it, the song Peace Be Still came to mind and I decided that I should memorize this passage in an effort to learn a verse a day.

Being able to quote this passage from memory has served me more than I would have imagined. Here are my thoughts on this amazing passage of comfort:

Vs. 1-3 – God is our refugee and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Thought the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

Daily, everyone of us can stand to hear a reminder that God is our strength. He is with us in trouble. We face trouble on daily basis.  More often than we want to admit, we are weakened and are driven to our knees.  If we would only grab ahold of this verse and cling to its Holy Promise! During the moments in my life when the mountains seem to be falling into the sea, I have been able to pull comfort from these verses. Praise the Lord for being my strength and help in trouble.

Vs. 5 – God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

 This verse reminds me that God Will help and wants to help.  That I do not have to go through my journey alone and scared.  God, the creator of the universe, the Master of the seas, the One that the winds obey his very voice, is in the midst of MY journey.  How amazing is that?

Vs 10a – Be still, and know that I am God…

Worry has a way of grabbing ahold of us and not letting go. We drag our worries around with us, fretting about tomorrow. We wonder what are we going to do, we waste precious time that we could be making a difference for Heaven on worry. That is what satan wants from us. He wants to distract us, so that we forget about this verse. We need to remember to be still and KNOW that God will take care of us, he wants to take care of us and will continue to take care of us. Instead of looking around at the raging storms and taking our eyes off of our Lord, we need to remain focused on him. We need to fix our eyes our heavenly Father and run to Him. We need to crawl right up into his lap and just be still, knowing that He is in control, that He wants to bless us, guide and direct us. Knowing that He is God!

I’m just as guilty as the next person about worry, about discouragement, about distractions.  Having hid these verses in my heart, where I can grab them at a moments notice has proven beneficial so many times. Speaking with my best friend on the phone who is afraid for her prodigal daughter. Consoling my daughter when she feels like the school can’t protect her. Re-assuring my son that God will provide the necessary funding for college. When my own heart is aching, with the desire to give big, with the need to see my son, with various heartaches and breaks – I too, claim these promises from the Lord.

Have you hidden these words in your heart? Can you grab them when you need them? You know the storms are coming, you know the battle will rage? What other passages do you need to hide in your heart?

The post Psalm 46 first appeared on CHRISTIAN REP.

@spreadingJOY lover of the little things that make life big, Marie knows that every once in a while, you need to be strengthened, encouraged and inspired.  For extra encouragement, a few smiles and lots of {HUGS} follow her on twitter.

2 Cor 7:3  I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.

2 Cor 4:15  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  [18]  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Cor 12:7  To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, * a messenger of Satan, to torment me.  [8]  Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  [9]  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power * is made perfect in weakness.”  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  [10]  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, * in persecutions, * in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Phil 4:13  I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

What road are you traveling? You are either in the storm, just come through the storm or at some point, you will be headed towards the storm.

The storms are raging, the battle is long. What can you do?

Renew your strength. Remember who carries you.  Surround yourself with scripture that reminds you of how God carried others time and time again.  He is the same God that parted the Red Sea for Moses! You are standing at the shore, wondering how you’ll ever cross over.  It looks hopeless and the enemy is not far behind you.  The battle rages on.

Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Keep schoochin closer to the Lord when you are weak.  He will carry you through to the other side, even though he could part the waters for you and let you walk across.  Rest in his arms, knowing you are safe, sound and nothing happens to you, that God does not allow it. In your times of weakness, you’ll want to just remove yourself from everyone, and everything.  This is the most important time to pray without ceasing, stay knee deep in the Bible and keep pressing towards the prize! All others to lift you up in prayer. Do not remove yourself from those that can bring joy, laughter and smiles to your day.

Your journey will allow you to strengthen and encourage someone else, when they walk down the same road.  The times your heart was breaking, will be what strengthens and encourages someone else that is now facing that same journey.

Are you willing to help them, encourage them?  Yes, the road is long, yes the nights are long, the tears sting your cheeks and your heart feels as though it will never be complete again. Remember the strength from the Lord is everlasting. Draw from Him. Keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Have the courage to get up one more time!

{{{HUGS}}} Yall

The post He Strengthens Me first appeared on CHRISTIAN REP.