Jewel Of Inspiration: Advent Week 1 ~ HOPE

ADVENT - Latin

Coming.
Waiting.

Waiting for the coming of Christ.
As we count down to the celebration of His birth we anticipate the coming.

The first candle of advent represents HOPE.

How can we have hope in the midst of this crazy world?

This.
This gives us HOPE.

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might, 
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness he sash around his waist.
In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him,and his resting place will be glorious. In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people.
Isaiah 11:1-5, 10,11 NIV

A stump that appears dying and hopeless comes alive and changes everything.
Whatever your stump is - know this...

It is not about what isn't.
It is not as you see it.
It is not as it appears...broken, wounded, dying.
Believe that there is more...there is a shoot...there is a coming...there is HOPE.
~ Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift

Lets pray, believe and HOPE that things can change.
Bad Things
Ugly Things
Wrong Things
Awful Things
Hurtful Things
Sick Things
Horrible Things
Hard Things
Can change through the promise and Hope we have in Christ.

No matter how we are hurting - it's only when we lose hope that the real horror happens. ~ Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift
www.aholyexperience.com

May we live in the state of Advent and Wait and Hope for the coming of Christ...not just in December...but Always.

Be Inspired and Joy & Hope To Your World!
Pinky Vern

Jewel Of Inspiration

Jewel Of Inspiration:

A Prayer For Today And The Days To Come

Matthew 6:11 - Give us this day our daily bread.

Daily bread is needed in order to face and accomplish what is necessary for today or to be equipped for the days ahead. 
I am praying for it's provision of nourishment, wisdom, and strength in order to do what I am called to do - become what I am to become and to overcome what I need to overcome. 
Otherwise, I open myself up to become distracted and delayed by useless or counterfeit things and I want less of that and more Him!

Proverbs 30:8 - Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.

During my cancer journey I learned to not look at the calendar of days, weeks and months of doctor visits, tests and treatments and the increasing medical cost's that were ahead. Instead I had to learn to face each day and what it may bring - nourishing on His Word that was planted and growing in my life and the love, and prayers of those covering me (so grateful!!). All of that and more helped me to have any bit of strength to not worry (as much) about what might be ahead. It amazingly provided me (and my family) with increased wisdom, hope and strength to live & face one day at a time and reduce any fear that tired to enter in.

Do you need increased hope, wisdom, strength and nourishment for today? 
Prayers for you and praises for His provisions that come in a variety of ways! 

Thank you, Lord, for your provisions that are poured out to us both physically and spiritually. No matter the size or supply - may we be aware and may it teach us honesty, perseverance, gratefulness, and generous compassion to give You thanks and not keep it to ourselves. 

John 6:35 (ESV) - “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." 

"The best condition is that which neither implies poverty nor yet recedes far from it."
~ Matthew Henry 

“Never, in peace or war, commit your virtue or your happiness to the future. Happy work is best done by the man who takes his long-term plans somewhat lightly and works from moment to moment ‘as to the Lord.’ It is only our daily bread that we are encouraged to ask for. The present is the only time in which any duty can be done or any grace received.” 
~ C.S. Lewis, from The Weight of Glory

Be Inspired To Seek God For Your Daily Bread And Give Thanks For His Provisions!

Pinky Vern

Mighty Or Mediocre?

Do you want to live Mighty or mediocre in thought & deed?

Do you want to see mighty things happen or mediocre?

Dare to grow Big in wisdom!

Dare to be willing to think & dream Big!

Dare to pray Big!

Dare to begin to obey Big!

Dare to take the necessary steps to serve, love, live and give Big!!

Then watch your mediocre thoughts & plans turn into something MIGHTY!!

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Ephesians 3:20 NLT

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17 ESV

Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees, and looks to God alone; Laughs at impossibilities, and cries it shall be done.~ Charles Wesley

Be Inspired To Do Mighty Things!

Pinky Vern

Jewel Of Inspiration: Choose Not To Fear

Since I was young I struggled with many fears.

The fear of rejection, darkness, failure, disappointing others, pain, speaking, heights, being lost, storms, driving, accidents, dying, etc...

All of these and more distracted me and delayed me and brought along with it other buddies that added to the fearful captivity.

Through faith in God - the Father, Son & Holy Spirit have turned my fears into cheers! Thank You, Lord!!  Through the Word of God (The Bible) He provides strength and wisdom to alert me of crippling fears and false words that only want to
destroy me and destroy the purpose and plan of God in my life.

On the most difficult of days in seasons of sickness and wellness I have to remember what He has provided in the past and pray
and invite Him to be in the midst of today's difficulties. 

Often I seek Him for strength to make the choice to not allow fear to take me away to a place that I need not linger - but instead grab hold of wisdom & courage to trust my Lord to help me face and overcome my fears!

When you have experienced the reduction and removal of fear time and time again - you cannot help but remember how freeing it is and you ache for it once again.

I desire for others to experience this type of freedom!

Today, I pray, if any of this resonates with you,
that you will experience freedom from the area of fears
that are trying to entertain you.

Prayers for you to overcome fears that have held you way to
 long and for other fears that may try to rise up in the days ahead.

Read and remember these scriptures and cover them over your life 

and situation or over a loved one.

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 

Psalm 23:4

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 

Isaiah 41:10

When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?

Psalm 56:3-4

I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4

"When we believe that God is Father, we also believe that such a Fathers hand will never cause His child a needless (fear) tear. We may not understand life any better, but we will not resent life any longer."

~ William Barclay

"Do one thing every day that scares you.”

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

I would add to that quote to include Jesus in it and 

He will help you face it and overcome it!

He has helped me overcome - over and over again!

Through Him I have overcome fear of driving. 

Through Him I have overcome fear of my failures.

Through Him I have overcome fear of speaking.

Through Him I have overcome fear of darkness.
Through Him I have overcome
the fears that accompany a cancer diagnosis.
I love to testify of these things
and to give hope to someone who is in their own prison of fear.

The Word of God is alive and active
and is what I cover my mind and life with.
The renewing of my fearful mind with the
promises of the Word of God will break and destroy the root
of the fear and the lingering affects of it.

Because of all the Mighty and Great
healing's He has done in my life - I proclaim & praise Him
for Transforming and Inspiring My Looks - thus my ministry name!

He truly has Changed My Countenance, Heart, Hope and Health!!

Though darkness fills the night it cannot hide the Light.

Whom and what shall we fear?

Let the powerful truths of this Chris Tomlin song sing over you and the truth of the powerful lyrics give you hope and strength today!

The video is from The 2013 Passion Conference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiBn6mPjvG0

Increase the knowledge of freedom through faith and reduce the presence of fear!

Be Inspired & Be Free In Jesus Name!

Pinky Vern

Jewel Of Inspiration: Wisdom Is Valuable

When God calls you to do something and gives you an assignment - trust Him to give you the wisdom, guidance & provisions to accomplish it. Seek & Grow in Wisdom and never stop learning! This will help you in reducing fear and doubt and not giving it a place to rise up and reside! 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV

I will be the first to admit - I am not confident in my own knowledge. I struggled (ahem - sometimes still struggle) and never excelled in the worlds education arena. Gratefully, I can be a student in God's Word and grow in His wisdom without any rankings or requirements and His curriculum never changes!

I've come to learn I must acknowledge & seek Him and depend on Him daily to teach me, help me remember, lead me and control my desires and days - or else I will certainly fail - and so very often I do.
If I rely on myself & my surroundings - I delay & hesitate to do what He has called me to do.  If I truly rely on Him then I respond much quicker & go without hesitation!  There is so much on this topic I could write and share with you!  It is my desire to live a life without hesitation and take Him at His Word quicker and to help others grow in that as well! 

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!
1 Chronicles 16:11 ESV

"If there is something we do not know, it is because we have not availed ourselves of what is revealed. But the real problem comes in doing what we already know." ~ Derek Prince

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16 ESV

Let us encourage and inspire one another to act on & follow through what we already know and get stronger & wiser in what is ours to discover! I pray that His intelligence would grow in our hearts and minds and be our guide as we trust Him to accomplish His purpose with the dreams, desires and assignments He has given us!

Be Faithful - Be Brave - Be Inspired!
Pinky Vern