rejoice!

Oceans

The song "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" by Hillsong United is a very popular one right now. And every time I hear it, the words speak to me in a different way. When I need to be reminded that "I am Yours and You are mine", it's there ringing in my head. When my heart breaks for people in need of healing, this song reminds me that when God calls me out upon the waters, He won't leave me. He's never failed me. I often use a prayer journal in my devotional time and a few weeks ago I wrote the following about this song. Little did I know, a childhood friend and my 7 year old cousin would be diagnosed Leukemia within a week of each other. I think of them and their families in this song. And others who feel like they are drowning. Lord remind us that you never failed us. And we are yours!

Lord,

There may be times when you call me out upon treacherous ocean waters, just as you called Peter to walk on water. To a place or situation which is unknown, and scary, and where I may fail. But you are already there. When the ocean rises and I am in deep over my head, it is there that my faith will become even stronger and will stand. Let me always call upon your name, Jesus. Keep my eyes above the worry, doubt, fear, and unknown… keep my eyes on your Glory. When it gets hard, Lord, my soul will rest in your loving embrace. You are always holding me. Jesus, I am YOURS. And when I am in deep waters, your grace is there. Your sovereign hand will be my guide and gently show me what to do. When I feel afraid and failure is around me, I KNOW that you, Lord, have NEVER failed! Why would I ever think you can't handle what's to come? It's already gone through your hands, you've already prepared me for it, whether I know it or it.  Jesus, I am yours. Holy Spirit, deepen my trust in you so that it is abounding like your love. No borders, no walls, no limitations. I will walk out of my boat, into/onto the waters, when you call me. Bring my faith and my soul into a drowning relationship with you. So that when the waters are deep, my faith is secure with You as my anchor.

Amen.

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)
Hillsong United

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown, where feet may fail
And there I find you in the mystery
In oceans deep, my faith will stand

And I will call upon your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise my soul will rest in your embrace
For I am yours, and you are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feel may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and you won't stop now

And I will call upon your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise my soul will rest in your embrace
For I am yours, and you are mine

Spirit, lead my where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters, where ever you would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made strong in the presence of my Savior.

Part of Love

A quality of God's love has been coming up a lot over the past few days. This is God's love when we are angry. Anger can be a hard thing to overcome. In becoming a Christian I had a lot to work on and anger was by far the thing God wanted me to change.  I remember in youth group I would always talk about how anger is the thing about myself I would most like to change for the glory of God.  He wanted me to be more like him.

"The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love."
Psalm 103:8

I had no idea what slow to anger meant because I am the type of girl who isn't afraid to show her emotions especially when they are overflowing like in times of anger. So as you can imagine I wasn't exactly living the "slow to anger" lifestyle. I began to pray and James 1:19-20 became a goal for my life. "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires." I began to listen to others more. God was teaching me not to become angry when I failed to win an argument or when I felt neglected or offended. Now I am angry when injustice and sin occur, I am angry when others are being hurt. It is amazing how much work God has done! Do I still get angry? YES! Of course I do. It wasn't until someone I am with every day told me that I handle my anger well that I realized all the work God has done over the years in regards to anger. I try not to erupt like a volcano spitting hot lava. I take the situation in, say my opinion and if it doesn't change anything just walk away and brush it off. He is changing me even when I thought there was no hope of being changed and if you struggle with anger he can change you too. We can stand together as followers of Christ and get angry at what truly matters. Things such as the injustices of sex trafficking, poverty, and many many others. Let us follow God and be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. Let's choose love!!

He calms our raging seas.

why did i stop dreaming?

I used to be that girl that I could sit in a room all day & play by myself. Imagine all times of crazy things. Talk to anything in my room & make them whoever I wanted. I was imagining, dreaming as a kid.

In high school I had big dreams for myself. Who I wanted to be. The success level I wanted to be at professionally. Where I wanted to live.

In college, those dreams started to dwindle. I felt little in a big world.

I began to think, dreaming is for kids.

Now, I am in my late twenties & afraid to dream.

Fear. That word alone scares me. Fear I will fail. Fear I will become discontent. Fear I won't be comfortable enough. Fear I will actually end up hating it. Fear I misread God's direction.

Going through Jennie Allen's book, Restless, I am asked all these questions that just make me think about my life. Things I never wanted to think about again. Things I've never even really thought I needed to think twice about.

Then I think what is my God purpose here? Who gives me these dreams in the first place? Who puts those passions in my heart?

I stopped dreaming because of the failures of my past. I am so afraid that the dreams I once had led me to a place of discontent. A place where satan got ahold of me & I left God on the side.

But then I started to wrap my head around some truth. There is nothing wrong with dreaming, as long as they are God dreams. Not dreaming for a better life, leaving myself discontent, but dreaming of a life of what I can do more of for God.

So that's the question. Do you still dream in your life? Do you led God lead those dreams? Or did you stop dreaming like me because of fear?

Do you want to be apart of our Girls of God's Heart community? {click here}

pride

The Spiritual Boxing Ring

God is your biggest fan. No matter what place your in.

Always rooting you on.

Never leaving your side when you're elbows deep in the spiritual  boxing ring with the enemy.

He gives you water during breaks, gives advice and sends you back out to keep fighting.

Yes, keep fighting.

Exhausted, wanting to stop and wondering when it will end.

That's all of us.

You're not alone.

We are constantly in spiritual warfare.

We never get to stop.

If we stop then the enemy wins.

We are fighting our guts out for souls.

Our lost parents, addicted children, sick family members and hurting friends.

Our fight isn't always for us.

It's for the ones we love most.

Sometimes we are all they have.

The only prayers spoken for them.

The only ones believing that they can change.

We fight on their behalf.

We declare that the enemy can't have them.

The devil and his team throw punches and we come back with an uppercut to the gut.

Kicking and screaming.

Even if we are bloody and wounded, even if we are down for the count and enemy thinks he's about to win.

GET BACK UP.

Too many people you know are counting on you.

Don't give up so easily.

Just when you think you are about to get KO'D is when you're the closest to winning.

Call a time out.

Talk to your heavenly COACH, take a drink and get back out there in the ring.

Be a champion for Jesus.

Help win souls and never stop fighting.

The Spiritual boxing ring is real life. Our prayers are punches and leading people to Jesus is the ultimate VICTORY.

It's the fight of life or death.

dream big, dream more

Do you ever sit around & wonder why you stopped dreaming?

In the book Restless by Jennie Allen that question was asked.

Why did I stop dreaming? I can think of a million reasons why I stopped dreaming big dreams. But this isn't what this post about it. 

I want to dream big & dream more for this blog. Kelly & I started out on this journey back in August of 2010. We started as just a Facebook page to encourage women in their faith.

Then we started this blog in 2012. To reach more women. To be able to express ourselves & show the work God has done in our lives.

Now, we want more again. We've brought to the table of actually studying the Word with our readers. Similar to the SheReadsTruth Community as well as the IF:Equip Community, but still different.

Julie & I sat down together & discussed what that really means for us. How we want to go about it.

First, we want this to be a community. A community of women sharing what God is doing in their lives, their real life struggles, just anything that they need to get out. We've not created a forum on our page under Guest Resources. This is all new to us to bear with us if there are kinks along the way. 

Also, we want to hear more from YOU. Our readers. Bloggers, non bloggers, anyone. Anyone that has something that they want to share with the world & don't know where to share it. Our blog is here for that. We want to encourage guest writers within our blog. 

So.
Do you have a suggestion of what book in the Bible you want to study?
Do you want to be apart of a community of women online in a forum?
Do you want to write?

We have all of that right here. 

Email us at girlsofgodsheart@gmail.com.