This past month has had me in a bit of confusion. Well, let me be honest…a lot of confusion! My question was…”What exactly is the Lord pressing me to do?” I felt Him urging me, and I was praying hard, still am, BUT… I was afraid of getting it wrong or not doing it well. I was afraid I would not get the steps of His plan exactly right, so I thought and thought and thought and prayed and prayed and prayed… I realize now, that I had let the enemy tempt me into taking no action at all. Can you relate? Do you ever hold off, scared to move? Do you stand still and overthink like I do?

That word, exactly, can trip us up sometimes. Paul, through Christ, gives Timothy a command to preach the truth. He does not tell Timothy every exact facet or detailed step or method, but He tells him what His job is…and you know what? It is the same as ours! It is to spread the truth about God!

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. 1 Timothy 1:3-4 (NIV)

God does not always give us a detailed itinerary! By faith, though, we can know it is always exactly what God wants when we tell others about Him, with the ability He has given us or will give us. We have to trust Him to equip us, give us words, make us able to do what He wants us to do. We have to pray before we do anything in His name, and trust Him to guide. As Paul commands Timothy to preach the gospel, he tells him the goal…to do what we do from a right heart, conscience and faith.

The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.  1 Timothy 1:5 (NIV)

Deep down, we probably know the general direction God wants us to take, even if we do not know EXACTLY where He intends to lead us in the end. It is not our job to know every single thing. Do not let the enemy waylay you like he did me. When we doubt, we are doubting our ability and discernment to do exactly what He wants. I see it like this…

God will not call us to something He cannot do from within us. It is a co-mission, you and God. Me and God. There is no higher calling.

We are wasting time when we are doubting ourselves instead of trusting God‘s call. We do not need to depend on what we can figure out! We need to use our faith! That’s what faith is for! We can depend on the One who already has it figured out!

I do know this…When God’s will meets our desire, it ignites a passion for His goals and fills us with pure joy and confidence. This joy from serving God is one that the world can never even come close to providing… Christina Crute

Today is a great day to take a step that the Lord wants us to take. Will you join me in taking a new step today? Can we take a baby step or big step of faith, in the right direction? Is this a matter of prayer for you? It sure is for me.

Personal note…my scary step is to start writing a book due to a strong urging in my soul that won’t go away. I am scared because I need to do it right, all to His glory. Tired of overthinking it, it is time to obey and use my faith in God. This is His project and I am only a willing tool. An excited tool, to be used!

God, You are so good. Thank You for Your ever present love and urging, through the Holy Spirit, to move in the direction You have for me. I trust You for each baby step. Thank You for Your light! Amen

Like a baby taking their first step, how about taking one in faith, knowing that Your Father will catch you if you fall?…

Christina

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35 ESV

Something very unexpected happened this past weekend that I’d like to share with you!

My husband and I sometimes sell our old or refinished furniture online. A lady responded to an ad for an entertainment center and we made plans for her to pick it up Saturday. When I didn’t hear from her, I wondered if she changed her mind. I messaged her and turns out, she did change her mind, BUT… she explained why.

A family member had a serious car accident and that person’s son had a sick child. and his wife was out of town. It was as if he had to handle the car accident and everything alone…the wife being out of town, the sick daughter with a temperature, the parent in the hospital. Other family members needed to drop everything and help him out.

Immediately my heart was engaged. I told Whitney “no worries” about getting the entertainment center. “You do what you need to do and we will hold it for you until whenever. We will not sell it to anyone else.”

How did she respond? She was grateful, but said she really could not buy the center at all with everything going on. She offered me a token of her apology in the form of some money through cash-app. Of course I said no! That was not necessary.

Without thinking, I asked if I could pray for her and told her God was able to get them all through. She called me kind and said she wished there were more people like me in the world. Funny thing…I felt the same about her!

She insisted on sending me money since she wasn’t going to honor her commitment to buy from me. Finally, I understood. This wasn’t about me, but about HER heart. I knew it would make her happy, so I finally relented. BUT…I would only take the money if I could spend the money on something for the homeless. She agreed! We had a plan. This stranger’s heart and money were an unexpected blessing!

So ..We went to Dollar General after church Sunday and bought $50 worth of mens’, womens’ and childrens’ socks, to donate to shelters. All because I came across a new friend with a kind heart:)

Thank you, Lord, for the chance to meet a kind stranger. It encourages me to be just as kind to others. You are a good, good Father. Please watch over Whitney and her family. Shower them with Your peace and love and hug and hold them as they need it badly. We ask these things because You have the kindest heart of all. Amen.

I got her permission to share this story with you. Sometimes you meet the coolest people. We joked that we were probably sisters in another life:)

Thank you, Whitney for reminding me that we are put on this earth to help each other and love each other:)

With the love of our Father, and prayers too,

Christina

Just a young boy, David aimed his rock-like faith at Goliath’s head, knowing He had God on his side. Those little rocks were just little rocks, but his faith was as big as his mightiest of rocks, His God. Why don’t we do more throwing of our faith-like rocks at our giants? In the name of the Lord we can defeat our “Goliaths”, the things that come from the enemy to frighten us!

When the enemy shows up and tells us we are doomed or weak or inconsequential, let’s tell him about our faith. We know we can defeat him because we have the One who already defeated him, on our side! Remember, Satan is a liar and will make you think you are smaller and weaker than you are. But…God, our friend, can only tell you the truth and He says anything is possible with faith. He also says we can do amazing things with Him. Try these encouraging verses on for size!

Philippians 4:13…I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Ephesians 3: 20-21…Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Matthew 17:20…He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Can you hear and feel David’s huge faith in these words below? If a little boy can do this, so can we. All it takes is a little faith in a big God!

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel which you have defied.” 1Samuel 17: 45-46 NIV

I can see myself saying this from now on, when I have a problem. 🙂 Can you?

Aim your faith in God at the very thing that would scare most people and watch that giant fall!

Have a wonderful day in the Lord, being strong with His might!

Christina

Dreams can be a magical thing when we believe in them. As children do, they think anything is possible. They are not limited by what they cannot see, because their unseen imagination is their guide. Children with an active imagination “see” things happening in their mind as totally possible. It makes them happy to dream. Oh, that we were a little more like children again!

We lose a bit of that as we grow up, by letting practicality and necessity determine our dreams. It is practical that we get an education, that we find work that earns us and our families a living. It is necessary to use our money wisely and prepare for the future and emergencies. But are we still open to dreaming, too? What does the Bible tell us about dreams?

1. Dreams can come from the Lord. In the Bible, the Lord often spoke and/or appeared to people in dreams.

At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” 1 Kings 3:5 NIV

2. If you do have a dream, a desire, we can take it to the Lord for HIS understanding of it. We should submit all our dreams and actions to Him.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6 NIV

3. God is the best contractor and builder of dreams. As we would present plans to a builder, we can present dreams to God. He, as the Master Builder will help us start with a good foundation. We need God’s foundation, to have truly meaningful results.

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Psalm 27:1 NIV

I have taken some liberties as far as my understanding of dreams here, but I really do think, as children of God, that we can dream more and think bigger, because He is big and nothing is impossible for Him. To me, the Bible encourages dreaming of what we can do together with God. I am no great writer, but it is a dream for me to sit here in my living room and write about God. It is also my honor and a whole lot of fun too, to do so.

What is your dream? I will pray today that you consider dreaming a bit more or dusting off a dream that God may have had for you that you put on a shelf for a bit. I can promise you this:

If you ask the Lord to help you reach a dream that honors Him, He WILL listen and guide.

Love and prayers to you from our awesome Father,

Christina

Here is a song I wrote that I will put a tune to, soon. Have a great day belonging to our Shepherd:)

Noise down in my soul, taking space from You.
Quiet me as only You can do.
Lord, I need Your love. Comfort me somehow.
Grant me peace as only You know how.

Bring me to your side, tell me I am loved
Hold me in your Shepherd arms tonight.
Whisper to my soul. Tell me You are God.
Tell me that you’ll see me through this fight.

I can see your hands, loving nail-scarred hands.
You’re the reason I don’t have to die.
You died on the cross, took the place of me.
Now my home’s located in the sky.

chorus…
Father hear my plea, less of me, more of Thee.
You have won the victory,
over death, over all that the world will throw on me.
Speak into my soul as only You can do,
Quietly.

I know that You are mine.
I hear You call my name.
I hear You in the quiet of my soul.
You are always close, when I cannot see.
You will rescue me with peace divine.
For You are mine, yes, mine; You are mine.
For You are mine, yes, mine; You are mine.

©copyright 2021 Christina Crute

Recently, I had a problem I just could not figure out. No amount of research, determination or elbow grease even touched on a solution. It seemed like there was NO solution! The harder I tried, with no answer, the more frustrated I got! Eventually I happened upon this verse. (It should have been the first place I looked before I got so frustrated. )

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5

I am supposed to rejoice in my suffering…but rejoice and suffering do not go together! The verse goes on to explain that suffering has a purpose. It produces character, endurance and then hope. Hope is worth rejoicing over, but rejoicing IN suffering just doesn’t come naturally to me. Does it to you?

Maybe that’s the whole point, or several points!

1. Rejoicing is a product of being joyful about something. We do not have to be joyful that we are suffering, but rejoice because the Lord has a reason for allowing it. We can trust He knows what He is doing, even though we are struggling.
2. Hope cannot be found within ourselves no matter how hard we try to find it there. We cannot make ourselves hopeful by reasoning, because hope only comes from the Lord. (And He does not always tell us His reasons!)
3. Suffering joyfully is not supposed to come naturally, but SUPERnaturally. It is the Holy Spirit at work within us, keeping us focused on God’s purposes for trials that makes us able to endure, have character and receive hope.

Did you ever have a problem with no foreseeable solution? it’s frustrating, right? That point, right there, where you come to the end of your ability and start to lose hope? That is where hope is found! That is where God can do His best work, if we ask Him to.

Thank you, God for loving us so much and for trials that train us to trust You more. When we feel human and do not understand, remind us with Your Holy Spirit that we can rely on Your wisdom and not our own, limited as it is. Thank You for loving us and giving us hope. Amen

I hope God blesses you real good with His guidance and hope! He loves you so much!

Christina

Even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
Psalm 139:12 ESV

I would say, “Happy” Memorial Day to you all, but it seems a bit of an oxymoron to me. What I mean is…today is a sad day in some ways, as we celebrate those who gave their lives for our country, for us. It is also a day to start acting like those soldiers did. We need to put others before ourselves. We need to risk things for a good cause. There is no better call to action than the one from Jesus…

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. John 15:12-14 NIV

Soldiers have answered the call to lay down their lives. They have GIVEN their lives, on purpose, for our freedom. How selfless are they!…Although it is hard for me to celebrate on a day of memoriam, but being able to celebrate our freedom is a gift that someone else bought for us. That does make it extra special. Thank you, soldiers, past and present!!

Let’s really enjoy what they gave to us and reach out to military families that are hurting today. It’s not about us today and according to the Bible, neither is any other day about us. When we realize that simple fact, we can truly begin to live the life God meant for us. As always, I am preaching to myself more than anyone else. We have one life. Let’s get this right…

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 ESV

See, it’s really not about us…promoting us, fame, money, success, our kids’ successes, our home, cars, vacations, jobs or even how many followers we have…it is about loving, helping, encouraging, supporting and thinking of others and their needs Sorry so preachy! I get that way, lol, when I need to hear what I am saying myself! Love you all!

Am I answering my commanding officer’s call to serve others more than myself? Would He promote me for my good work done to others? Would He not promote me because I promote myself enough already? Do any of you need to answer the call that Jesus has laid upon your heart …maybe take on a special mission that has nothing to do with your success but the needs of others? Just some food for thought and action. Sacrifice and suffering done on purpose for others…hmmm…that sounds like what Jesus did! Let us be His good soldiers:)

Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 2 Timothy 2:3-4 NIV

A beautiful video and rendition of Isaac Watts’ , I am a Soldier of the Cross. Here are the lyrics too:

1 Am I a soldier of the cross,
a foll’wer of the Lamb,
and shall I fear to own his cause,
or blush to speak his name?

2 Must I be carried to the skies
on flow’ry beds of ease,
while others fought to win the prize,
and sailed thro’ bloody seas?

3 Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
to help me on to God?

4 Since I must fight if I would reign:
increase my courage, Lord;
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
supported by thy Word.

5 Thy saints, in all this glorious war,
shall conquer, though they die;
they view the triumph from afar,
and seize it with their eye.

6 When that illustrious day shall rise,
and all thine armies shine
in robes of vict’ry through the skies,
the glory shall be thine.

This was a long post today, but it is so important that we obey Jesus’ greatest command to love others and serve Him:)

Have a wonderful day. If you have lost a soldier of your own, my heart goes out to you. You are loved and thought about and your soldier’s legacy is a lesson to us all. It is a reminder of the legacy to others we are meant to be living out day-to-day. Love and prayers to you all:)

In His love,

Christina

Be strong, and let your heart have courage,

all you who wait for the Lord! Psalm 31:24

Have a great day and know that the Lord is our Rescuer!

Christina

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 NIV

Last night, my husband and I went to return an item to a Ross Store. It was almost 9pm and we weren’t sure they were still open, but as we pulled up, we saw there were several people in the store and the lights were on. We hurried into the store to do the return. The cashier told me, when I asked, that the store did not close until 11 pm. “What?” I responded. “Who stays open until 11?” He then blurted out, “You think that’s late. We are open ’til midnight on Friday and Saturday!” I had to laugh because we had rushed to get there on time. This morning, I am thinking about how available stores are and I realize…

You know who has the working hours of “now, always and forever?” God. We do not have to wonder if He is busy, closed for business or available. He is there to serve us and even take our unwanted returns. Lately, I had a bad attitude that I wanted to get rid of. I prayed and asked God to forgive me and He not only did that, He let me exchange it for a new attitude, one that fit me better.

His working hours are not determined by daylight, financial gain, or popular trends. His hours are determined by His love. He is available always, without judgement, whether we deserve another minute or hour of His time or not. He loves when we come to see Him.

God’s store of what we need, His strong and available arms, are always open. They never weary of wanting to hold us and guide us in the way He knows is best for us, His Way.

Isn’t God just so great to spark these little reminders of How available He is to us? I love Him so much and I hope you do too! Have a great day!

Christina