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  • Different

    Different

    Different: not the same as another or each other; unlike in nature, form, or quality; distinct; separate

    For the majority of my life, I have felt like there was something wrong with me. 

    You see, I’ve always been “different”. Not really someone who was bullied or left out all the time, but I never quite “fit in”.

    I can remember this feeling starting as an eleven year old, and blossoming into an insecurity in my late teenage years. I always felt like I wasn’t on the same frequency as other people; like I was tuning into a different station and marching to an off beat drum. I couldn’t understand.

    But then I came to a realization. I am supposed to be different. 

    If you’ve ever felt this way, first know that you were created on purpose for a purpose. You are not a mistake or a waste of space. God made you exactly as you are for a reason, and He loves you so.

    But He also created you to stand out.

    1 Peter 2:9 says, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;”

    Did you read that?

    We are a peculiar people, called out of darkness. And what is darkness? Sin and worldly things. So if we are saved and called out of darkness, are we not called out of this world, so-to-speak?

    We are set apart, not for us to be lonely or to be excluded, but because we have come out of the darkness. We are not yoked together with sin and darkness any more. Rather, we are separated from it.

    If you are facing these feelings of loneliness or disconnect, remember this:

    We are not of this world, and we will one day leave it. John 15:19 says, “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

    So if you find yourself feeling low because of your differences, remember that different simply means we’re distinct and separate. It’s not a bad thing. Today, let’s celebrate this!

    Maddisen Sauls is the smile and voice behind the Everyday Joy blog as well as the author of the Word of the Week posts and the editor of by leaps and bounds. Throughout her life, Maddisen has worked as a reporter for small town newspapers, a School Age and Preschool teacher, and has acquired her ministerial license. 

    An avid book reader and lover of the written word, Maddisen is passionate about using her favorite medium to reach the lost and the hurting, and to offer encouragement and hope to those struggling through life. 

    Following her battle with depression, Maddisen has made it her mission to help other people through this journey and to bring joy to the lives of the people around her. 

    You can find Maddisen on Instagram @maddisen.paige

  • Hold On To What We Know

    Hold On To What We Know

    Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus (II Timothy 1:13).

    We live in a society with so many voices, so many ideas, and so many opinions that clamor for our attention. Many times we are being told, not only what to say, but what to think. Sorting it all out is nearly impossible and somewhat frustrating. Therefore, we have to hold fast to what we already know to be true — the non-negotiable aspects of our faith.

    The Apostle Paul spoke of being appointed by God as a preacher and apostle of the gospel. He wrote often about suffering for the cause of spreading the gospel to as many as he possibly could reach. Because of men like Paul, we have faith in God today. It is more than a shallow faith — it is a deep, heartfelt conviction that we must embrace. 

    No matter what religious backgrounds we may have — if we are truly Christians — there are certain truths we all share. Let us look briefly at some truths we absolutely are sure about. 

    We know that God is Creator of all things. God the Father spoke everything into existence and saw that it was “good.” The Holy Spirit moved over the face of the waters in splendid, creative power. Jesus was in the midst of it all as John 1:1-3 states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.”

    Jesus, the Word, was involved in creation. 1 John 1:1 says this, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life.” Though we have not seen the Lord, we have heard the Word of life. We know Him as Creator and Sustainer of all. We also know Him as the God who loves us. 

    John 3:16 is familiar to us: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” This one verse will never grow old; this one verse is something we can hold fast.

    Along the same vein, we know Jesus died for our sins. 1 Peter 3:18 declares, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.” This verse covers important territory. We were separated from God and deserving of punishment. Jesus took our place and died for our sins in order to bring us to God. 

    Finally, we know Jesus is coming back. Oh, there are voices that say it will never happen — it is just some fairy tale not worth listening to. However, we hold on to what we know — Jesus is coming for us. We hold fast to the words of I Thessalonians 4:16-18, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

    Let us comfort one another with the Word of God. These are the words we have heard and the words we have read. These are the words we know. Let us hold on to what we know.

    Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.

    Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children  — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter  — Breanna. 

    Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. 

    Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.

  • When Life Burns You

    When Life Burns You

    Hey guys! 

    So this past week, my friend’s house burnt down and they lost everything. It was devastating! 

    What really stuck out to me in this time is how my friend is handling it. She is handling it with so much grace, and she has a peace about her that can only come from God. It has been amazing to watch! 

    My picture for this week is one of her shirts they found in the rubble.

    Life is kind of like that sometimes. Life will burn you… it is inevitable. But it’s what you do with it that matters. 

    It actually says in the Bible that being a Christ follower doesn’t make your life easier, but manageable. It doesn’t say that fire will never come, but that when it does, we have a God who can bring us through it! 

    My life has had its fair share of fires, but I have come out the other side stronger than ever before. I promise, you will be okay! Even if you lose everything, you still have God and He is all you need! He will walk through the fire with you! All you have to do is ask Him! 

    Remember, God loves you and so do I!

    Hannah Benson — known for her big heart, her kindness, and her eagerness to serve — is the author of the Overcoming Autism blog.

    Hannah was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 14, and now uses this media platform as a way to reach out to those living with Autism and other handicaps. Hannah shares tips and coping skills for those with Autism and for family and friends of those who have been diagnosed; she also relates her life to stories in the Bible and chronicles the lessons she’s learned along her journey.

    Hannah Benson can be found on Instagram @hannah_benson94 or on Facebook on the Overcoming Autism Hannah’s Story.

  • Hope

    Hope

    Hope: a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen; a feeling of trust

    Hope is not lost.

    Recently, a young child I work with asked me to help him search for a “lucky charm”, or a four leaf clover. He had high hopes that we’d find one.

    But I knew better. So I patiently explained to him that finding a four leaf clover was a hard task to undertake as they were very rare.

    And wouldn’t you know that as soon as those words came out of my mouth, I looked down and saw a four leaf clover.

    I had never found one before, but here I was holding one… right after telling a child that there was no hope in doing so.

    Just like how this real-life scenario played out, we also experience moments like this in our own lives. Granted, it’s probably more serious than finding a four leaf clover, but this was a big deal for a little five year old.

    And similarly, our experiences are big in our eyes. Maybe we’re having to believe God financially; maybe we need help with a situation; maybe we need to trust Him with some things; or maybe we’re suffering emotionally or physically.

    Whatever it is, it’s first important to know what God says about our circumstances and problems, and to have faith that God is going to walk alongside us and help us.

    But then we can’t let that hope go.

    How often do we let the enemy, other (maybe well-meaning) people, or even ourselves try to discourage our hope — our faith?

    In my experience, a lot. 

    Hebrews 10:23 says this: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

    He who promised is faithful.

    Read that again.

    He who promised is faithful.

    Our God is faithful!

    So let’s hold onto hope unswervingly, and let it be an anchor for our souls. For we know that we can trust our God.

    Maddisen Sauls is the smile and voice behind the Everyday Joy blog as well as the author of the Word of the Week posts and the editor of by leaps and bounds. Throughout her life, Maddisen has worked as a reporter for small town newspapers, a School Age and Preschool teacher, and has acquired her ministerial license. 

    An avid book reader and lover of the written word, Maddisen is passionate about using her favorite medium to reach the lost and the hurting, and to offer encouragement and hope to those struggling through life. 

    Following her battle with depression, Maddisen has made it her mission to help other people through this journey and to bring joy to the lives of the people around her. 

    You can find Maddisen on Instagram @maddisen.paige

  • A Lifetime of Prayer

    A Lifetime of Prayer

    I love the lord because he hath heard my voice and supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live (Psalm 116:1-2)

    Have you ever had a burden or concern that you just could not shake? Maybe it was an illness, a financial issue, or one of your children headed in the wrong direction that stole your peace and sleep from you. I believe all of us have experienced this in some form. We know the need of assurance that someone is listening and that someone can help us out. 

    Yesterday, God answered a prayer for me about a situation that had lasted for months. I’m telling you, there was a lot of sleep lost, but God was hearing and working on our behalf the entire time. It is so good to know that God inclines His ear to us when we pray. 

    Prayer is an interesting endeavor. Mathew 6:8 says “… your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” Yet, Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” We may say, “If God already knows, why do we need to tell him?” The answer is not complicated at all. 

    God inclines his ear to us. This means He really desires to hear what we think, what we feel, and what we need. God cares deeply and really wants to hear from us so we can be assured that someone is always listening. Therefore, we can pray about anything and everything that concerns us- He is listening.

    The Psalmist wrote, “Because he has inclined his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.” This is what a lifetime of prayer looks like. God listens when no one else will. God sees us when everyone else turns away. God helps us when no one else can. May we determine to live out a lifetime of prayer because we know He is listening!

    Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.

    Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children  — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter  — Breanna. 

    Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. 

    Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.

  • If Jesus Dying On the Cross Is Not Enough To Make You Want To Serve Him, Nothing Your Pastor Can Do Will Ever Be Enough

    If Jesus Dying On the Cross Is Not Enough To Make You Want To Serve Him, Nothing Your Pastor Can Do Will Ever Be Enough

    I am a pastor’s wife. I am also the worship leader at the church my husband and I pastor. It is a joy and an honor to do ministry with my husband and children… most of the time. 

    I have to admit that there are times when we get weary. Most of the time, it’s when we’ve lost our focus. See, there’s this thing that gets us off track. It’s very common for people to express how much they like, or dislike at times, our ministry style and how they enjoy coming to church. 

    That’s a good thing, right? Well, it is until it isn’t. When those same people stop coming to church regularly and start missing over simple things that one shouldn’t really be missing church over, that’s when the struggle begins. 

    This is when it becomes easy to start thinking we might be doing something wrong. Or start questioning what we are doing differently that has made them not as eager to attend services. 

    Do you know what the problem with this thinking is? It has made church about us instead of God. I’m being completely vulnerable in this post and I pray that you will read it with an open mind. Please remember that pastors are human too and have to be vigilant to keep our focus where it should be. I want to give you some insight on a common insecurity that your pastor most likely struggles with. 

    The thing we need to remember is that if the only reason you’re coming to church is because you like your pastor, you will not stay long. Of course we want you to like us and we want to do the best job we can with the calling that God has given us. But I have learned through the years that what Lecrae says is true, “If you live for their approval, you’ll die from their rejection”. We are probably never going to have every person’s approval on everything we do. So that leaves part of us dying constantly if we’re overly concerned about man’s opinion of us. 

    Church members, you have to remember that your pastor is your shepherd, not your savior. I’ve noticed that it’s easy for church members to fall into two categories at times. They lean toward idolizing their pastor, or crucifying him. Neither of these things are healthy. Your pastor is not perfect. Believe me, I live with mine and call him my husband. He would tell you the same exact thing about me. 

    We’re just normal people doing the best that we can to fulfill the call that God has placed on our lives and love the people He has put in our care. I will tell you that my husband, as well as any good pastor, takes this thing very seriously and would do just about anything he could for the members of our church. This includes making the place you call your church home a place you are proud of and that you love to attend. However, as much as he wants to do for you, he cannot make you come or serve Jesus. That’s something you have to make a decision to do for yourself.

    So what is a church to do? Well, first off, pastors, we need to stop trying to make people like us and start praying that they fall in love with Jesus. Worship leaders, we have to do the same. And then, we all need to do that. We need to fall in love with Jesus! If you’re just not feeling it, ask him to give you the desire that you want to have. He will do it. 

    People often fall into traps about how to make their churches grow and how to become more seeker friendly. I’m going to give you the most basic but also the most needed information you can get. Fall in love with Jesus and do what He says to do. No, seriously. That’s all you need to do. 

    Stop talking about what your pastor is doing wrong and start partnering with him to have the best church you can have. Stop thinking about what you would do if you were the pastor and for heaven’s sake, stop telling everyone what you would do. If you have insight on something that you think might help your pastor, absolutely share it with him. But don’t get mad when he doesn’t do everything you say to do. 

    If God wants you to be a pastor, He will call you and equip you to do that. If you are not a pastor, stop trying to be one and be the best church member you can be! When your pastor gets to heaven, he will stand before God and answer for the choices and decisions he made, not you. 

    Love God and love people. How do we love people? Well, let’s just start by being nice to them. People want to be where they not only know they are loved but also where they feel loved and accepted. I don’t want to go where I feel like I’m being talked about and looked at as if I’m not good enough to be there. 

    Give up your seat if a guest wants to sit where you normally do, and do it with a smile on your face. Give them the best opportunity to experience the goodness of God through you until they are able to experience Him for themselves. That’s when our churches will grow. When we get back to the basics of true Christianity.

    Telina Frye is the author of Dare to Dream, as well as a pastor’s wife and mother to her 13 year old son and 10 year old daughter. 

    She is a singer/songwriter and a natural born dreamer. Telina is also credentialed in the Church of God as an Exhorter and holds a Minister of Music License. She serves as the worship leader at the church where her husband serves as lead pastor. 

    Telina loves having deep, meaningful conversations about what is and what could be. She hopes this blog will inspire readers to dare to look past what is, see what can be, and reach for the impossible.

  • The Foundation of an Intentional Life

    The Foundation of an Intentional Life

    If you’ve been tuning in to my blog for any period of time, you’ll know that my aim and goal in life is to be completely and 100% intentional in everything I do. Shoot, it’s even the name of this blog. Am I 100% perfect every day? Not even close. However, it is what I strive to do, and as I’ve (most likely) mentioned before, it’s a journey. It doesn’t happen overnight. As we bring our awareness to it, though, each day we will grow in it until “intentional” is something that is an automatic response in our every day.

    We’ve all grown up thinking a certain way. If living intentionally wasn’t ingrained in you as a child, it will take some time to renew your thought processes and replace those with this new way of thinking. It’s not always an easy process; our minds will want to revert back at times, but it’s definitely worth it.

    In my last couple of blogs I’ve started talking about evaluating your focuses and what you are doing on a daily or weekly basis to focus on those focuses or goals. I’ve also talked about what you could incorporate into those to help cultivate a healthy and balanced lifestyle. In this blog, as well as the next few blogs, I want to elaborate on the different points that will get you there.

    The first point I want to touch on is going to be the most important point I will list. It’s crucial to everything else we could ever do in this life, and it’s what makes life worth living. Sound cliche? Maybe a little, but I cannot stress it enough. 

    The most important aspect you could ever incorporate into your life is this: making Jesus the foundation of your life. 

    That’s it. If you didn’t take any of the other points I mention in this series of blogs, fine. But this is one you can’t skip or slack on. If you seem skeptical on this point, stick around and let me show you why this is the single most important thing to include.

    Like I mentioned, making Christ the foundation of your life is a crucial thing. Let me just give it to you straight and tell you why: If your foundation isn’t in Christ, everything you do and accomplish in life is meaningless and the only end is death, hell, and the grave. Without Christ there is no hope “for it’s in Him alone that we live, move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). 

    Whew, that was a little heavy but it needed to be said. Without making Christ our foundation that’s what it is though. Just shooting straight my friend.

    Elaborating on this point, one of my favorite books in the Bible to read is Ecclesiastes and I love it for several different reasons. First of all, the author King Solomon was so raw and real about life and the true meaning of it. Solomon is considered to be the most wise person to ever have lived on this earth, and because of that wisdom, God also granted him “wealth and honor.” (Check out 1 Kings 3:1-15 for the whole story).

    With that, Solomon had it all. He was a king who had everything he could ever want: riches, fame, peace in his kingdom, wives (yes, plural), and more. He had experienced “everything under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:14) and called it all meaningless without God. He urges the reader to remember God even in the midst of all the fun things this world could offer, and that in the end all that matters whether or not we lived for God.

    This was a king who said this. He literally had everything he could have ever wanted yet he still realized this truth. If a king, who was highly esteemed, wasn’t exempt from that then we aren’t either. 

    Another thing I want to mention is that if you don’t make Christ your center and your foundation, everything you do and accomplish will not only be meaningless, but it will also be unstable and could be gone in the blink of an eye.

    “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.” — Matthew 7:24-27 MSG

    So while you may be able to rack up the wealth or accomplishments for a moment, the next moment it could all be gone. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Without God as the foundation, the enemy can come and destroy everything you worked so hard for. But WITH God, the enemy has no hold over you. Jesus came to bring you life so you could live it to the fullest. If you make Him that foundation and you place whatever you do in His hands and follow His will for your life, you’re placing yourself on that unshakable foundation.

    Some people may think that making God the cornerstone of their lives involves a big list of things to do and not do, and if you do wrong He’s going to strike you down with a lightning bolt from heaven. Maybe you find yourself thinking this too. Friend, I’m here today to tell you that this is not at all true! 

    So often people have the mindset I just mentioned, but that’s a religious mindset that just creates more bondage in life to be “perfect”. Let me tell you though that is not at all it. Jesus came to bring freedom, so making Him the foundation isn’t going to be like that.

    Placing Jesus as your foundation is really all about having a relationship with Him. Whaaat? A relationship with God? Yes, a relationship with God. Listen, listen, that’s why God created us. He wants to have a relationship with us. How do I know this? 

    First, James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” God wants us to come close to Him, and He already made that first step when He sent Jesus to die on the cross for us. He literally sent His only begotten Son to die for us. I don’t know many people I would die for, but Jesus died for everyone so they could come to Him — yes even the worst of the worst. In that act of selflessness, Christ made a way for us to be able to come to God, whereas before there was no free access to Him. So God took the first step and Jesus sacrificed himself to bridge that gap so we can have that relationship with Him. 

    It’s not a matter of whether God wants to have a relationship with us or not, it’s the matter of if we choose to have a relationship with Him.

    Secondly, 2 Corinthians 6:18 says that God will be our Father and we will be His sons and daughters. Well, I’m not a mother yet but I am a daughter. In that, I know that my parents want to spend quality time with me. Not for me to just call them when I need something or want to rant, but they want me to just do life with them. The same is true for God. He wants us to spend time with Him, to get to know Him and know His heart. And He will reveal Himself to us if we make that point to be with Him.

    We can do that by spending time reading the Bible, which is His Word, or by worshipping or praying and resting in His presence. This is how we can draw closer to God.

    So, in having Christ as my foundation, I want to grow closer to Him and to know Him more — to love Him more. I want to be fully dependent on Him and have the faith in God that He can do the impossible, for He is the God of the impossible. That is my foundational focus.

    God wants to do something great in your life. The Word says that he has a specific plan for you, but you have to place your foundation on Him or it will all fall apart.

    Will you choose to make Him your foundation?

    Caleigh

    An adventurer and coffee enthusiast at heart, Caleigh Ball has a passion for reaching out to others to inspire them to live with intention and purpose. As an ordained minister, she spends her time ministering as a youth pastor and is actively involved in Arise Ministries as the vice president and bookkeeper as well as one of the ministers. She enjoys life with her husband, Emmanuel, and their cat, Alaska, in their home state, Almost Heaven West Virginia.

    Find Caleigh on Instagram at @caleigh.ball 

  • Testimonies, Part 1

    Testimonies, Part 1

    I’m claiming it right now as I write half of this two-part blog. I’m claiming healing, miracles, restoration, and I come out better than I even started. 

    You see, God is a way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, and our light in the darkness. That’s just who He is and He can’t go against himself.

    Recently, I scheduled a consultation with a functional medicine practitioner because I was hopeless on getting answers for my raging physical and mental symptoms. It was $800 just for the consultation, then it was going to be upwards of $7,000 for the testing and treatment plan. (I wouldn’t normally write a blog like this but I’m feeling led to. Whatever God says, goes.) I spoke with a christian friend about how I didn’t feel right spending that kind of money, and didn’t expect it to be that steep. I have been working on letting the peace of God lead me wherever I go and this didn’t feel peaceful. This friend had been telling me all along that I should go to the True Physician but I guess my faith wasn’t strong enough yet. 

    After looking at my last worldly option with a price that high, I was kind of brought to the fork in the road: choosing God or worldly doctors. So I chose the Lord to perform my miracle from head-to-toe, inside and out. The minute I chose to rely on the Lord and begin to pray and have faith for my healing, the peace began to overflow. This isn’t normal Hannah behavior, ya’ll.

    My faith has always been very weak in the healing department, and even less so for myself. So, if we are weak in one area of our lives, we are affected in all areas. God has already shown me little bits of what’s to come. 

    You see, it isn’t an option of IF God will heal us, it’s a matter of WHEN. When He died on that rugged cross 2000+ years ago, the miracles were already performed. Healing already took place, hope would always be the best option, and begging God for something was no longer needed. We wonder why some people get healed and others don’t but since God is no favor of persons, I believe it comes down to a matter of faith. We can know the Word, we can believe in the Lord, we can believe He will even heal others.

    But when it comes down to us personally, we have to believe just as hard, if not even more. We can have our biggest Christian influences pray for us, but at some point we have to grab the faith for ourselves and stand FIRM on the Word and His promises. God died for YOU. God accomplished all that would ever need to be done. He healed anything that would ever need healing. He forgave all that would ever need forgiven. 

    At the women’s conference I went to a couple weekends ago, one of the speakers said, “God wants to heal you even more than you want to be healed,” and that really resonated with me. WOW. This goes for anyone. 

    God is truly no favor of persons. This means that what He has done for someone else, He has already done for you. The devil isn’t going to fight or torment someone who is just out there ‘living their best life’ avoiding the Kingdom’s works. The devil is going to fight the hardest with someone who is doing, or will be doing, amazing things for the Lord. 

    So I guess what I’m here to tell you today is that I’m writing this blog in faith of what’s to come of my healing (and yours, too!). I’m writing this to prove I’m not giving up on it and I’m trusting God to come through. He can do more than any worldly person ever can, AND IT’S FREE YA’LL. I’m already seeing it come to fruition and it’s been a week since I decided to give it to God and expect the most from Him. 

    The devil is swinging hard, but I’m fighting Him with the Word that never fails or comes back void. The devil can seem relentless, but oh when that breakthrough comes, how every single struggle will be worth it. 

    There is nothing greater than the blood of Jesus. It washes over every sin, sickness, shame, past hurt, future sin, unbelief, and any tricks the devil thinks he has up his sleeve. 

    Don’t give up, guys. Don’t let the devil trick you into backing down. Keep treading through the storm and I’ll be here to tell you that on the other side there is a better life than you could ever imagine!!!! Get ready for part 2, because it’s gonna be GOOD! The Lord is on the move and I pray with all my heart that you will move forward with us. Yes, YOU!!!!

    Hannah Smith, author of the Moving Mountains blog, is a woman who feels she has experienced a lot of life in her 33 years. 

    At 19 years old, Hannah joined the Army. After moving around the country, getting a divorce and losing what seemed like everything, she landed back where God wanted her in Ohio, even though she fought the whole way. She is now a devoted follower of Christ and seeks the Lord with all she’s got.

    Hannah is married and a RN, but works as a stay-at-home mom to her 3 children per instruction from the Lord.

    She loves to hike, travel, drink coffee, and talk about Jesus. Hannah also has a heart to create a home and life in which she can be a safe place for the hurting and the broken. Her biggest piece of advice would be to never tell the Lord you will never do something- because He will most likely then ask you to do that very thing, LOL!

    To her readers, Hannah says, “I believe that God set every single one of you reading this apart, for such a time as this. It is my hope and prayer that God would use the words I say to change your life in a way you and I never thought possible!”

  • Wield

    Wield

    Wield: have and be able to use

    There’s a difference between having something, and using something. 

    For instance, I have a blender, which I got to make smoothies. But I don’t use my blender much anymore. Although I’m able to use it, I don’t. It just sits in my cabinet, getting dusty, and waiting to be used.

    And without realizing, we do this with many things in our lives.

    We let talents sit on the backburner. Sometimes because we aren’t sure how to utilize them, or because we’re insecure about them, or maybe just because we’re too busy.

    We let our giftings lay dormant and unused. Although God has blessed us with abilities to be activated and used for His glory, we don’t use them.

    What about our spiritual authority? So many times we allow the enemy to have his way with us, all the while we have the authority to stop him in his tracks and put him under our feet. But we don’t.

    We have these things, but we don’t use them.

    So instead of just having something, why don’t we wield it? Why don’t we pick it up and put it to work? Why don’t we take it off the backburner, off the shelf, dust it off, and use it.

    Let’s wield our gifts, talents, and authority, and use it for the Kingdom of God.

    Are you ready to pick it up and wield it? Let’s go!

    Maddisen Sauls is the smile and voice behind the Everyday Joy blog as well as the author of the Word of the Week posts and the editor of by leaps and bounds. Throughout her life, Maddisen has worked as a reporter for small town newspapers, a School Age and Preschool teacher, and has acquired her ministerial license. 

    An avid book reader and lover of the written word, Maddisen is passionate about using her favorite medium to reach the lost and the hurting, and to offer encouragement and hope to those struggling through life. 

    Following her battle with depression, Maddisen has made it her mission to help other people through this journey and to bring joy to the lives of the people around her. 

    You can find Maddisen on Instagram @maddisen.paige

  • Past Many To Choose One

    Past Many To Choose One

    Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?” Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samiel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” (1 Samuel 16:4-12)

    As we read in Scripture, Saul — the first king of Israel — had failed to obey God on various occasions. God sent Samuel on a mission to anoint the next king. Samuel was instructed to invite Jesse and his sons to the sacrifice where Samuel would anoint a king for Israel. 

    At the very beginning, Samuel made the mistake that we still tend to make — he judged according to what he could see with his eyes. Surely Eliab was the one! He appeared strong and confident as a king should be. Notice what God said to Samuel. 

    “Don’t consider his appearance. I do not look at the things people look at. While people look on the outward appearance, I look at the heart.” Seven kingly-looking sons failed the test of the heart. That is manys sons. In our eyes, one of them had to be good enough. God viewed it differently. “Do you have any more sons?”

    Jesse’s answer was interesting. “There is still the youngest, but he is tending the sheep.” Jesse did not think enough of David to even invite him to the sacrifice. Maybe he thought, “David is too young and he smells like the sheep he is tending.” This is so typical of how people are looked at by others. 

    Hear the thoughts of people around us. That one is too old or too young. That one appears shy and unsure of themselves. That one can only do the most menial of tasks. The book is judged by the cover but God opens the book to see what is inside. He is so good at bringing out the best in people that others would tend to cast aside

    1 Corinthians 1:26-29 says, “For see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called; But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise: and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.” It is so important to let these words sink into our  hearts and our spirits — “God hath chosen”. 

    It is so humbling to understand that God has gone past many to choose us. All are called to salvation; many reject it. Many others are satisfied to coast along. Then there are the chosen ones that God uses to change the world and further His kingdom.

    Take heart today! God has gone past many to choose you. YOU ARE THE ONE!

    Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.

    Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children  — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter  — Breanna. 

    Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. 

    Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.