God Hears Your Cry

All across the world, women in need are crying out to God. These women are undergoing severe hardships, extreme sadness, and overwhelming difficulties. To be honest, it amazes me to know that God can touch each of these lives all at the same time. But, He can. The Lord is right there in the midst of each of these situations ready and able to move. To the woman in the hospital bed who is feeling hopeless, anxious, and afraid, God sees your pain. You have been patiently waiting for a miracle, and doubt is starting to settle in. Don't give up. God does still heal today.

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." – Isaiah 53:5

To the woman who feels invisible, like nothing she does matters, know that God sees you. In fact, He sees all that you do. You are precious in His sight, and He wants you to know that you are His beloved.

“You are the God who sees me.” – Genesis 16:13

To the woman whose marriage is falling apart, nothing is too difficult for our Lord. It's not over until God says it's over. He can take the most impossible situation and bring complete restoration. Just put all your trust in Him.

“So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” – Matthew 19:6

To the woman who can't make ends meet, whose bills are so far behind that there is no way out in sight, know that God is in this. You may not see it in the natural, but fortunately we serve a supernatural God. Hold on to His promises.

"But those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." – Psalm 34:10

To the woman whose child has turned his back on God, know that God sees every one of your tears. He knows you are hurting, but He wants you to trust Him still. God loves your child more than you do, and although you can't see it, God is moving behind the scenes.

“‘For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” – Luke 15:24

And to the woman crippled with fear and anxiety, lean on Him. God wants you to rest in His peace. Allow the presence of God to permeate every inch of your soul. Let go of all the lies that the enemy has told you, and grasp hold of the truth of God.

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." – 2 Timothy 1:7

Ladies, it doesn't matter how many requests are being called out to God right now – He hears them all. You matter to Him. He can bring hope like no one or no thing can. Keep your eyes on Him.

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” – Psalm 121:1-2

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We hope that you will be able to join us for the “The Power Within” Conference on Saturday, September 24^th from 9:00 a.m. – 2:oo p.m. at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachussets. Additionally, we will be offering a second conference in Cheshire, Connecticut at The Cornerstone Church on Saturday, October 29^th. We are expecting a refreshing time with the Lord.

For tickets to the Springfield event, go to:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-power-within-womens-conference-tickets-25701415626

For tickets to the Cheshire event, go to:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-power-within-womens-conference-tickets-25701743607

The Father's Presence

A few weeks ago, a close friend of mine went through one of those moments where you feel like the wind has been knocked right out of you. She went for a routine test and received an unexpected call from her doctor. They found something suspicious on her x-ray that needed further testing and investigation. When I heard, I immediately went straight to the Lord in prayer. I interceded for my friend, claiming the Word of God over her life, believing that this “finding” would be benign. But more than that, I found myself praying specifically for God’s presence and peace to fall over her during the moments of uncertainty. I wanted her to feel God during this trial.

I know first hand how hard those moments can be. “What if” thoughts flood your mind and try and invade your peace. But, something miraculous happens to you when God’s presence fills you. Fear disappears. Doubt vanishes. And, peace floods in.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

– Psalm 23:4

When I was a little girl, I would sometimes have a bad dream or a fear-filled thought at night. I would try to fight the thought, reason with it, and make it go away, but somehow the fear wouldn’t leave. In fact, the more I tried to fight it by myself, the more it intensified.

Defeated, I would jump out of bed and quickly hurry down the hall into my parent’s bedroom searching for my father. Now, my mother was great for all other situations, but for some reason, this was a job only for my dad. The scared look on my face let him know immediately what was going on, and he would follow me back into my bedroom and sit next to me until I fell asleep.

The funny thing is that once he was there, I would generally fall to sleep in just a matter of minutes. My father’s presence let me know that I was safe. I knew that he loved me, and he would never let anything bad happen to me. His presence brought me great peace. I knew I had nothing to fear.

If we, as adults, can wrap our heads around this idea of seeking the Lord’s presence in our lives, we certainly would be experiencing more peace-filled moments. We try to handle life by ourselves. Instead, we simply need to invite Jesus into the situation and allow Him to overwhelm us with His presence.

“My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” – Exodus 33:14

I am happy to report that my friend’s follow up tests were clear. But, more importantly, she remarked that she had peace throughout the entire process because she felt God’s presence.

Ladies, no matter what life throws at you, remember that as long as your Heavenly Father is close by, you need not fear anything that lies ahead. Let Him comfort you and bring you peace!

Big Waves and Strong Undertows

Did you know that the Pacific Ocean is known for big waves and strong undertows? Well, I learned that first hand on vacation when I was twelve. My family and I were having a good time in the ocean when the tide quickly changed. The big waves turned into huge waves, and the undertow got increasingly stronger. I vividly remember looking out at the ocean only to see an enormous wall of water coming our way. Noticing the fear on my face and realizing he wasn’t close enough to help me, my father calmly instructed, “don’t panic, just dive through it before it breaks on you.”

Well, I panicked! And, I didn’t dive through the wave like he said. I froze with fear and allowed the wave to pick me up and slam me face-first against the sand and shells. I was completely disoriented, not knowing which way was up or down. If that weren’t bad enough, the undertow quickly pulled me back, and I got caught in another vicious wave cycle.

With some help from my family, I was eventually able to fight the undertow and run back to the beach. I’d like to say I was cool and collected, but I was anything but that. I was covered in sand from head to toe and had scrapes all over my body. In fact, I had so much sand in my bathing suit that I could have made a sandcastle from it. Completely shaken up by the whole ordeal, I refused to even go near the water to rinse off.

Interestingly, even though I looked like I had just escaped a shark attack, my family looked unscathed. They went through the same waves I did, yet they weathered them effortlessly. Why? They didn’t panic. They listened to my father’s instructions and dove through the waves with confidence.

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” – Isaiah 43:1-2

Ladies, the tides of life sometimes change on us and generate some pretty big waves. Our Heavenly Father tells us not to panic or fear. If we listen to His direction during these tumultuous moments, we too can come out unscathed. When we trust in our own strength or let fear paralyze us, we can easily be tossed around and pulled out to sea. Our trust needs to be in Him.

I don’t know what wave you are facing in your life, but I am confident that the Lord will guide you through it with His loving care. He is a compassionate father who wants to protect you from harm. Don’t get intimidated by the size of the wave. Remember, with God, there is no wave too big or undertow too strong!

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.” – Psalm 91:14-15

The Crossroads of Decision

Generally in life, we move ahead with a steady rhythm and just go about our business. Life is at times a bit boring. But, boring is good. Boring is calm. We often take for granted the seasons in our life that are routine. We want excitement and newness and adventure. And just sometimes, we get exactly what we want. However, when change shows up, it's often more excitement then we can handle. Change is uncomfortable. Change makes us anxious. Change calls us to make decisions. In an effort to make the right one, we stay up all hours of the night contemplating the different angles, we list out the pros and cons, and hopefully we pray for direction.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but when I pray to God, I like an immediate response. One that is clear and very specific. Unfortunately, that is not the way God always works. Sometimes, we need to press in. Sometimes we need to spend more time on our knees. And often, we need to stop talking and just listen.

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. – Isaiah 30:21

God is always speaking to us. He speaks to us in a number of ways. The first way He speaks to us is through the scriptures in the Bible. The Bible is God’s instruction manual for life, providing answers to life’s most challenging questions. God also speaks to us through other believers. Or, He may choose to speak to us through visions or dreams.

And yes, He does speak to us audibly, but it may not be the loud bellowing voice we would expect. It may come in a still small voice or simply in an inner knowing. It is very important to be sensitive to His voice and discern if it is Him or our emotions.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. – John 10:27

Ladies, it is important to recognize that in all the ways He speaks, Gods will always give us peace if we are walking in His will. When you have God’s peace, you can take on the world. Things may be scary and new, but God’s peace gives us the boldness to live outside our comfort zone. No peace, stay put. Know peace, move forward.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. – Psalm 32:8