Are you feeling confined or trapped? Are you under a lot of pressure? Some situations may be impossible to avoid. You know what you have to do, but still, the pressure can get to you.

Don’t forget to stop every once in a while to take time out for yourself. Go for a walk, ride a bike, and clear your head. Make time to pray. When you go to God’s presence, things take on a new perspective.

Life certainly is not easy, but if you let the Lord untie the knots in your soul, everything changes.

Be blessed!

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He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

    he drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

    from my foes, who were too strong for me.

They confronted me in the day of my disaster,

    but the Lord was my support.

He brought me out into a spacious place;

    he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Psalm 18:16-19

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NO PRESSURE

Sometimes you feel stuck or trapped. Everyday life ties you up in knots. Maybe it’s real or all in your mind. Still, all you want is to be free.

But you have tasks & responsibilities. You can’t just run away. That’s not you. So you show up. You stay put. And it’s okay, but still, sometimes, it’s hard. It hurts inside.

Who will show you the way? Who can lead you out of the wilderness into a wide-open space?

It is He who spreads out the great blue sky above you. It is He who opens up the heavens and whispers to your heart.

It is He who tells you, the struggle is worth it. You are loved beyond measure.

Be strong. Be brave.

And by the grace of God, you know you can do it. You can be steady. Solid and sure.

Knots untied, you return. You bless each task. You make them holy.

You walk free in a spacious place. Nothing can tear you down. Nothing can steal your joy.

Just a reminder for all of us…

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And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.

Revelation 21:5

Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.

Matthew 9:13

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Sweet tender mercy

Please, dear child of God, never forget

the sweet tender mercy of the Lord.

You may have found yourself down and out. Sad or hopeless. You let yourself and others down. Hurt comes raging in from all sides.

And a deep yearning leaves you empty.

So you think, Am I worth anything at all?

Please, dear child of God, remember…

You are loved by the Lord.

You matter dearly to him.

You are a creation of God Almighty, made in his image. This truth gives your life great worth. The work of the hand of God is always good.

No one can love like you love.

No one can give like you give.

And God loves you like no other. His love for you is personal and eternal. God’s love will never be held back from you.

And know this, dear sweet child of God,

when you were hurting, Jesus never left your side. He took the hurt with you, even when you hurt yourself.

He cries with you and feels the same hurt you feel. He holds nothing back to be with you. His way is the way of the cross. Arms wide open he loves you.

And by his blood, you are forgiven. You are made innocent and new in the eyes of God the Father.

Please, dear child of God, never forget

the sweet tender mercy of the Lord.

Return to the manger in your heart…

Audio message and prayer from Vincent:

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For to us a Child is born,
to us a Son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:6-7

NATIVITY

Can you go back? Back to the beginning? Nobody knew what was happening. Nobody ever imagined…

The Lord comes to you in a quiet forgotten place, telling you it’s not what you think, so just let it all go to him.

It’s the humanity of God. He comes close to you. Your soul cried out for this for so long.

His love, a deeper love. His truth, a deeper truth. His peace, a deeper peace that finally gives you rest.

On a quiet night, a graceful one, God’s Son is born… and given to you. Take him and hold onto him.

He is innocent and new… vulnerable. It’s all there, in the Child, every hope, dream and aspiration.

Inspiration from heaven above to come alive on earth below.

And all God’s power and glory will be revealed…

In a baby, a little one.

God is with us.

Emmanuel.

It’s never, ever too late…

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Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 11:28-29

RETURN TO LOVE

Maybe it’s been a while… days, months, even years.

You know God is there, but he’s in the corner of your mind. He lets you free to go where you want. Without him.

And you feel it. The distance. The solitude. A lack of heaven. You’re sad inside. The distance extends to your life. You close the door to your heart.

And it hurts to be alone.

So, your heart cries out to you, “Return! Go back to the place where I can rest and find peace. Return to our Lord Jesus. Return to love.”

“Can I?” you ask. You know you can. You always knew deep down.

So you listen to your heart. And you return.

You get down on your knees, close your eyes…

And the heavens open up wide. Angels sing joyously out loud.

The Lord does not hesitate. He pours out all his tenderness. You feel you belong… at long last.

“Welcome home my child,” says the Lord. “I know it’s hard for you sometimes. Know that I am always here for you, forever more. Always.”

And your weary soul rests. Tears of joy soak the earth.

It’s a piece of heaven.

A promise for even greater things to come.

Just a reminder going into the weekend. Find rest in the Lord.

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16

THESE ARE THE TIMES

These are the times when the Body of Christ must rise up…

to remain solid, to intercede before the throne of God, and to give & love more.

Be the glue that holds things together. Be a source of stability, hope, and joy… even humor.

Do not let the enemy create any resentment in your heart–not towards any person or any nation.

These are the times when the disciples of Christ must represent him more than ever.

Live and love courageously!

Just this for today…

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;

John 11:25

Christian teaching gives us many tools to live a more fulfilling and happy life. Still, sometimes we might lose sight of what really matters. We might get caught up in politics, success or activism. Or we might feel crushed by our own failure.

In all of this, the enemy tempts us to put something else at the center of our attention. Then we forget what our faith is all about in the first place.

It’s never too late or never too often to go back to the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Remember what the resurrection means to you. Upon these basic elements, every good fruit of the Spirit comes forth.

So if you’re caught up in thoughts or activity that distract or stress you — just stop. Stop and return to the bedrock. Let the Spirit of God restore you again and again.

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I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 

1 Corinthians 15:13-14

He who does not love does not know God; for God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 

1 John 4:8-11

NEVER FORGET

Never, ever forget how much you are loved by your Creator, your God.

You may struggle sometimes and even fall, but he lifts you up again.

The Lord is freedom and grace to you. His Spirit reveals a deeper meaning.

Never, ever forget that Jesus died on the cross… and rose again on the third day.

This means everything to your soul. The resurrection is life and truth.

It may seem out of style, or they may try to sell you another gospel, but only one Gospel stays true.

God is love. Jesus is his Son. His blood washes you clean of sin.

Christ is life everlasting.

Believe in God. Love God. Know who you are and where you are going.

This will get you through the darkest times, as you are heaven bound.

Here’s a new kind of post. It’s a preview of what I’ve been working on during many mornings lately.

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Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. 

1 Peter 5:8

And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

1 John 5:11

When facing a tough situation, you have four basic options:

• Struggle alone
• Get help
• Run away
• Wait for a miracle to happen
• Grow

Sometimes, you can’t get much help, but it pays to ask around. Miracles don’t happen everyday, and God may choose not to make one. In all situations, we have to be steadfast in prayer, but some spiritual resources are already there for us if we know where to look.

Even though our abilities are limited and imperfect, we are God’s children. This means something in us contains a part of God. That’s where you can tap into when your energy and drive are exhausted.

God’s grace has no limit. Deepen your belief in this truth. When you let him do the heavy lifting, it’s a lot easier to love and serve. So go to God. Be filled with his loving grace.

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But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God

John 1:12

But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Any one who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

Romans 8:9

Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13

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LOVE MORE

In a struggle, a fight, under pressure. Never seeming to get a break. Even everyday chores weigh you down.

So what will you do?

Reaching out and up, you cry out to the Lord. Extend your mighty hand, you say. Deliver me. Save me. Set me free!

And you wait. You pray. And pray some more.

And God answers. He says,

… love more…

Dig down deep. It’s there. A vast storehouse of grace to help you as the Spirit lives in you.

Go, dear child of God, be like the Son.

Be a miracle. Love more.

And then you will be free.

Is there someone in your life that bothers you? Someone that makes you see red? We all have people in our lives that push our buttons and get us to overreact.

Still, even if their actions are inappropriate or very wrong, it’s important to check your heart.

Remember, as a child of God, things are different. You don’t have to let rage consume you. You don’t have to let another person influence and control your heart. Instead, your rest and peace depend on the only one that is perfect: Jesus.

Don’t let the enemy manipulate your emotions and reactions. Instead, focus on how God wants you to understand things – especially yourself. Remain in a healthy, centered place. Stay focused on God’s word. See his hand at work everywhere – even if it’s not how you like it.

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Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Matthew 7:3-5

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Luke 6:35-36

BUTTON PUSHER PRAYER

Oh blessed Lord,

Where do these people come from? Why do they cross my path? The ones that drive me crazy. They bring out the worst in me.

They way they act, think and talk makes my blood boil. Who do they think they are? Where’s the meaning here, oh Lord?

When I get mad, I might say, “I could just kill so-and-so.” What’s going on in my heart?

Could it be I see my shadow there? Or a light you send to tell me, “Here’s where you need healing and help.”

Give me understanding. Yes, they may be wrong, but who am I to condemn? Who do I think I am?

Put my heart in your hands, oh Lord. Show me again that heaven is a gift, not a right.

Help me not to become an even bigger monster than the ones that make me mad.

Yes, I can be firm. Yes, I can be confident. I might even get angry sometimes.

But not at the cost of anyone’s soul. Not theirs. Not mine.

Keep me. Bless me. And bless them too.

In Jesus name, Amen.