Spring is here, and with Spring comes hope. We leave the cold, harsh winter and walk into the warm promise of new life.
John 16:22 says, “So will you also pass through a time of intense sorrow when I am taken from you but you will see me again! And then hearts will burst with joy, with no one being able to take it from you!”
This week, I’m giving you a recipe for Cheesy Potato Soup.
Cheesy Potato Soup
3 stalks celery
1 medium onion (diced)
1 carrot (diced)
1/2 stick butter
8 potatoes (diced)
1 can milk
6 slices american cheese
Water
Take celery, onions, carrot, butter, and four cups of water to boil. Cook until almost done. Add diced potatoes, cook until tender. Add more water if needed, then add one cup of canned milk and one cup of regular milk. Bring to a light boil, add cheese, and stir. Take off heat, then add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crackers.
In addition to providing delicious recipes on her Faith and Food blog, Tina Rucker is a proud mom to her 18 year old son, happy wife to her husband Joel of six years, and the spearhead of the Five Loaves Food Pantry ministry in her local church, open twice a month.
Tina has worked in the food industry for over 25 years, and has a heart and a passion to serve, feed, and provide for those in need.
Do you guys ever go through spiritual dry seasons? Like, you feel like you are in a desert and you can’t find a pond of water to drink from?
That’s where I have been over the past week.
You want to find that water, but you can’t and that scares the life out of you because you wonder what will happen if you don’t. And all the while, you are trying to make it on your own. But you can’t; you need rain.
This is why it is so important to sit at the feet of Jesus every morning. I let my guard down and I was so dry. It took me sitting at the feet of Jesus alone and praying and worshipping Him to receive that breakthrough.
If you are in that place right now, your rain is coming! All you have to do is ask and worship Him for it!
Don’t wallow in the mud so-to-speak. The desert is horrible, I know, but keep believing for rain!
It’s hard, but it is so worth it!
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.
One look around us in our world, our society, our families, might bring some discouragement. A simple glance might bring a grimace to our face and a whisper of prayer to our lips.
While things may look rough on the outside — with things such as social and racial unrest, a worldwide pandemic, income insecurity, and so much more — let me reassure you of this: God is still working.
For many of us, we begin to question God when troubles come. “Why are You letting this happen, God”, “Where are You?”, “Have you left us?”, “Do You even care?”. These are just some of the questions that tumble from our trembling lips.
But Scripture reassures us that God will never leave us nor forsake us, and only good and perfect things come from above.
So in all this mess, where is God, you might ask. Right here.
That’s the answer.
He’s still here. He hasn’t left.
When God is silent and things are hard, He is often moving around in the background, silently working things out. And one event He used His faithful servants to arrange was the Breaking Boundaries Conference.
Last weekend, another Daughter’s of Deborah conference was held, this time in New Martinsville, West Virginia. The Breaking Boundaries Conference was hosted by The Refuge Church, and God certainly and thoroughly blessed His daughters who were in attendance.
This conference — spearheaded by Arise Ministries — was bathed in prayer before its complete fruition, by President Kim Eidel, staff at Arise Ministries, and the ministers who would bring the Word to this event.
Although many would question the efforts to produce a women’s conference during a world-wide pandemic, Kim felt God confirm and reaffirm His will on this matter, and the conference forged forward.
When the doors opened to welcome ladies with coffee and doughnuts, the atmosphere was charged with anticipation and expectancy. God was already in their midst, ready to do something amazing in their lives.
With the start of worship came the moving of the Spirit. Although the sweet and inviting presence of God was already there, the anointed worship leaders and musicians — led by Telina Frye and Kayla Tomblin — brought about a move — a move that swept through the sanctuary and began to impress upon the attendees, and overwhelm them with His great love.
The room was filled with worship of all varieties. Dancing and shouting, hands lifted, God’s daughters responded to the calling of God with eagerness. Emerging Prophetic Artist Caleigh Ball also utilized this time to use the arts to express this love.
Following worship was speaker Jessyca Hayes, an anointed Evangelist and minister from West Union, West Virginia. She spoke over the audience and said, “Some of you are getting your marching orders, and it can be for all of you if you choose to receive it.”
Women who received the call began to march around the sanctuary as an expression of their faith. Jessyca’s message was a timely and powerful Word from God, and many received healing and deliverance during the altar call.
The second lady to minister was Angela Stress, who also brought a Word from the Lord. In her message, she invited the ladies in attendance to rid themselves of any lingering darkness — any hidden sins.
“Anywhere where there is no revelation of Jesus Christ…is an area of darkness in our lives, and that’s where Satan works…he wants to keep you in those places of darkness,” Angela reminded. She called them to shed light in those dark places and be set free.
An anointed message was then brought by Kim Eidel, who ended the conference by encouraging ladies to shred up the labels they’ve put on themselves and take up the identity of who God says they are.
“It’s time to stop allowing the enemy to hold us back from the bigger-than-you-and-me purpose and plan that God has for each of us. It’s time to rise up and use the authority that Jesus paid the highest price for. The Bible tells us that Jesus already accomplished everything that has and will ever be needed, but now it’s up to us to use it.” she said.
During her message, Kim also remarked, “Many people make the mistake of wanting God to do something when He already has. Meanwhile, we’re waiting on God when God is waiting on you.”
This conference was a power-packed service full of deliverance, healing, and chain and bondage breaking. Everyone in attendance walked out changed, encouraged, and set free, and we are so thankful to God for that.
We thank God for the inspiration behind this conference, and for making it happen despite the state of the world and the attempts of the enemy.
In her spirit, Kim also heard God tell her to share this message with all in attendance (and we want to share it with our readers as well):
“Reclassify and hold the line. It’s time. Out with the old, in with the new. Walking in the new, crucifying the flesh, and taking up the cross…we need to hold the line of what God has given us, and become so enamoured — so enveloped in Him, so in love with Him — that we find and step into the identity of what He has called us to be.”
The time is now. God is here, and He is moving. He’s pouring out His Spirit on all flesh — all who are willing to stop and hear His voice, obey His commands, and carry out His will.
God is moving now, and He’s given us the choice to be a part of it. Will you join in?
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
Exhaust: drain (someone) of their physical or mental resources; tire out; use up (resources or reserves) completely.
Have you ever waited too long to put gas in your car?
I did. Once.
When I first got my car (a 2006 Honda Civic that I was so proud of) I was meticulous with it. I made sure no trash was left in it; it was always clean; a car freshener was always inside; and I never — and I mean never — let the gas get too low. I wanted to take care of him (yes, my car was a guy).
But slowly, I began to get less strict with how I treated my car. I started leaving gum wrappers balled up in the cup holders. Then, I got lazy late one night and left a fast food bag in the car. I forgot to buy air fresheners soon enough, and I procrastinated cleaning my car. It just didn’t seem worth the effort if it was just going to get dirty again.
Then one freezing winter day, I started my car and saw that my fuel tank was at zero. There was nothing left in there to run my car.
My heart began to beat so hard and loud. How had I let it get this empty? How was I going to get it to the gas station?
I prayed, and prayed hard, as I shifted him into gear and began my slow trek to the closest gas station. I prayed the whole way there, and did my best not to touch the gas pedal any more than strictly necessary.
Thankfully, by the grace of God, I made it there and was able to fill up my tank. I was lucky I wasn’t left stranded with no way of getting my car to start.
And this moment taught me something.
Oftentimes, when we first become serious about our relationship with God, we put in all the time and effort. We read our Bibles and pray and worship and go to every church service. We take good care of our relationship with Him.
But then slowly, we become lazy and let things go. We don’t have time to read the Bible. We forget to pray. We’re too uncomfortable to worship, or we don’t like the song. We overslept and can’t make it to church.
We forsake spending time with Him for the pleasures of this world.
Then, one day we wake up and our spiritual tank (so-to-speak) is empty. We’re at zero. We didn’t put in any effort, so we have nothing in there. And now we ask ourselves questions like, “Where did God go? Why would He leave me? How am I going to make it through this?”
This is why it’s so important to spend time with God. We need to refuel. If we exhaust what we’ve put inside of us, we will no longer be able to function as we once did.
This is your reminder this week to refuel. Don’t exhaust your faith. Don’t forsake your relationship with Him. Put in the effort and drive!
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
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord (Psalm 122:1)
Eagerly, the nine year old turned the church door knob, pushed the door open, and bounded into the small sanctuary. Sunday afternoon sunlight filled the room — exposing hundreds of dust particles in its rays. A slight breeze blew through the open windows.
Basking in the silence, the boy sat down on the rough pews in various sections of the church — first in the rear, then in the middle, finally in the front. This was his peaceful place; this was his sanctuary. So different from the loud arguing and the violence that were the by-products of his father’s alcohol addiction, the two mile hike was well worth the effort.
As he changed pews, the boy talked to God — the God he knew would listen. He couldn’t help but feel that God was his audience of one and that he had His full attention. In a few hours, other worshippers would join him, but right now, the place was his own. Then his attention turned to the piano.
Awkwardly, he tried to pick out the notes to various hymns of the church. One mistake caused him to start over again… after all, it has to be right! Little did he know that God would use music as a key to keep him close to church and close to Christ — all because of the unlocked church door.
Time has not changed the effect of that door. That door draws the rejected child to the God who rejects no one. That door beckons the man bound by addiction to alcohol, drugs, and pronography to freedom that only comes through the Holy Spirit of God. That door calls the abused woman to healing of her body, soul, mind, and spirit. The unlocked church door waits for them to push it open.
By the way, the nine year old boy was… me.
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.
Hey everybody! I’m excited because in this blog post I’m going to elaborate on my last blog post and go into more detail about what my specific focuses for the year are.
To get you up to speed (if you haven’t read it, I encourage you to go do so!), I talked in my last blog post about the importance of evaluating where you are in reaching your goals. A lot of the time, we make goals or set focuses, but time gets the best of us and we forget about it. This is why it is important to evaluate! It brings us back to those goals, focuses us, and helps keep us on track to reach those particular things rather than allowing life to pass us by without accomplishing them.
With that being said, I want to let you in on what my focuses for the year are. Now, these items I’m going to list are not just temporary things to get me from where I am to where I want to be and then forget about it. These are aspects I want to take with me and cultivate as part of my lifestyle. In essence, it’s a lifestyle change.
These focuses all can fit under one and the same category, or the same focus: being intentional in cultivating a balanced lifestyle.
Being intentional is so important to me, which is why I decided to start this blog in the first place. And maybe that’s why you are here too — there is a part of you that desires to be intentional in your every day. That’s tired of letting life pass you by. Instead, you can do your part to be not only present in the moment, but make that moment count. We are only here for so long, and I don’t know about you, but I want to say that in everything I did in my life I did wholeheartedly and with intention.
And thus, being intentional to me means being intentional in every aspect. One of those facets, which I believe to be foundational, is focusing on a balanced lifestyle.
Balanced living means considering all aspects of your life: spiritual, physical, financial, relational, and intellectual. The goal is to excel in these aspects, and in them you will find a healthier version of yourself.
Like I mentioned above, a balanced lifestyle is foundational to your everyday health. For the past few months I have really felt God urging me to start prioritizing my health, learning what I can do to be a good steward of what He gave me. God has given us these bodies and these lives, and we should treat it with the love and respect it deserves.
As a whole, people aren’t used to trying to bring that balance to their lives. Sure they may try one or two aspects, but I believe to fully be a good steward of our bodies and lives, we should strive to be well balanced in every aspect.
Let me just say, the development of a healthier lifestyle is not an easy one, especially when you are looking at all the different aspects of one’s life. It may take some time and some trial and error to find what works and what doesn’t, so my suggestion is to take it slow. It’s not all going to happen in one day, and that’s okay. Give yourself that time to figure it out.
Some may look at it from a financial standpoint and think they will never be able to afford that, however healthy living doesn’t have to be super expensive either. We can even reallocate funds; sure it may be difficult at first, but definitely worth it in the long run. Afterall, this is your body and life. It’s for sure a good investment.
You may know the saying, “Before you help others, always put your oxygen mask on first.” I bring it up to say, as Christians our Great Commission is to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19) however that is difficult if we ourselves aren’t in the right place to. Taking care of our bodies — mentally, physically, spiritually, and intellectually — and our finances will help bring us to that place where we can help others.
The road to cultivating that healthy lifestyle might be quite the journey, but it’s definitely worth it. Like I said before, God gave us these bodies and this life, so we need to do our best to cultivate a healthy, balanced lifestyle and be good stewards of them.
And I don’t know about you, but being healthy also feels good too. 😉
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.
So, here’s the thing: God never moved; we did. God never loved us any more or any less, but we told ourselves He did. God saw your finish, while you saw your mistakes. Jesus literally died on the cross on your very worst day. Think about the worst mistake you’ve ever made. That’s the person Jesus died on the cross to save.
We cause struggle and heartache in our own lives for unnecessary reasons. We make life so much harder than it has to be.
When God is absent, it’s because we have run away from Him. The Lord tells us to seek Him and we will find Him, when we seek Him with ALL our hearts.
I was struggling pretty recently with the social distancing, quarantining, and feeling depressed and hopeless. Then God reminded me it was because I stopped waking up early to spend time with Him.
Following Jesus will almost always take sacrifice and challenge our comfort level. But, it will ALWAYS be worth it and pour more blessings into our lives than anything else ever could.
If you are struggling, feel alone, lost, or left out — run back to Jesus. I say this a lot in my blogs, haha. But it is always going to be the answer for every situation or question you will ever encounter in life.
I’ve been diligently doing my morning alone time with the Lord for a few months now and I can tell you I’m stronger in and closer to God than ever before. I truly do have peace that surpasses my understanding. I have peace even when it makes no sense. I have boldness and confidence in the Lord. I don’t care what this world thinks of me any longer, but I do care what I am doing for the Kingdom and our eternal destinations.
The devil is trying harder than ever before because He knows that each passing day his time gets shorter and shorter. When the devil fights, God fights back even harder.
When struggle comes into our lives, let’s seek God even deeper and love even more. Love wins. Not the kind of self love that the world is preaching, but the kind of eternal love that will fulfill every aspect of our lives. All it takes is faith the size of a mustard seed for God to do the impossible on our behalf.
That seed that God planted inside of your heart will come to fruition. The darkness may try and overtake it; the storm may come and try to blow it away, but God will always bring the sunshine to make it grow.
God is a God of yes and amens. He is not a God of disappointment or failure. He will always show up to save the day. That dream God gave you already took into account the mistakes you would make. He hasn’t given up on you. He died for you on your worst day. God is always the answer. He truly understands. He is the sun and the watering can, and He gave you the seed, hope, and dream for a reason. It’s not for anyone else. It’s not too insignificant. It’s not too late for God. Seek Him in everything you do; I promise you it will fill your cup and leave you feeling so refreshed and joyful that you won’t be able to contain it!! Jesus is the love that wins!
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!”
Arrive: reach a place at the end of a journey or a stage in a journey
Ahh, Spring. It’s so sunny and so pretty. The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and I am smiling.
I love the sun; I love warm weather. And with warm weather comes vacations. We’ve planned our vacation; have you? Are you going on one this year? Comment below and let me know!
Anyways, there’s something I’ve always found funny about vacations, especially as a kid. When you’re traveling to get there, it seems like it takes forever! It feels as if you’ll never arrive.
That’s when we started pestering our families with the “are we there yet” questions.
And sometimes, I think we pester God with the same question as well. “Are we there yet?”
A lot of us work towards an “end goal” in our walk with Christ. We’re looking to “make it”. But the truth is, our journey won’t end until we go to Heaven.
There is no “making it” as a Christian. There is no “end goal” here on this Earth. There is always something to learn; something to grow in; something to improve upon. We will arrive when we meet Jesus.
Until then, continue on your journey. Don’t stop! A lack of movement causes stagnation, spiritual complacency, and lukewarmness.
So keep pressing forward. Keep improving, growing, and moving. Don’t stop now! Go and grow!
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
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath, but because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:1-6, NIV)
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10, NIV)
Consider this! In the Christians life there are two distinct time frames — before Jesus and after Jesus. Another way to view this: what we were and what we are. What a difference Jesus makes!
Ephesians 2 begins by reminding us of what we were. Let’s sum that up. We were dead people wallowing in our sins and blindly following Satan. He was leading us down a path that could only lead to destruction and ultimate judgement. Don’t you just love the next part of these verses?
But because He loved us, God made us alive in Jesus. He took us out of the wallowing pit we were in and lifted us up into heavenly places with Jesus. We did nothing — nor could we have done anything — to save ourselves. It was all the grace of God. Let us look at what Peter said concerning what we are now.
We are a chosen people. We were not chosen by just anybody — we were chosen by God Almighty. When Satan comes around trying to tell us we are nobodies, we need to remind him that we are chosen by God. Satan had us, but he lost us.
We are a royal priesthood. We are able to intercede for and try to win the lost. We are able to help restore those who have fallen away. We are able to encourage fellow Christians. Our lives are no longer wasted. God uses us to help others and further His kingdom in this world.
We are a holy nation. Our inability to live right is overcome by the power He gives us to become the sons and daughters of God. He begins a work in us that manifests itself in how we act, talk, think, and live.
We are a special people. God holds us in His hands. We are His. Scripture declares that no one is able to pluck us out of His hands.
Having shown us His mercy, our Lord makes us so much more than we were ever able to be without Him. Instead of barely surviving, we now thrive. John 10:10 says, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, kill, and to destroy: I am come that they may have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” The first part of the verse is talking about our then. The second part is talking about our now.
Remember, what we were was then. What we are is now. Now we are saved, now we are blessed, now we are victorious!
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.
So in one of my earlier blogs, I talked a little bit about obsessions. I think the example I used was my obsession with fire. I want to expand on the obsession part of that blog.
Since I was little, I have been obsessed with people. I will focus in on one person and drive them crazy! It has ruined so many relationships!
Another thing that I can obsess about is tornado sirens… I love them and am interested about how they work. I can watch videos of them for hours! Just the way they are set off by a radio system is fascinating… just replay a dual-tone combination and all sirens on that system go off. It’s so cool.
Fire alarms are also amazing! One flip of a switch and you can clear an entire building!
But what if there is something we NEED to be obsessed with? I have been gut-checked on this so many times. God wants us to obsess about HIM.
It’s great to have friends and hobbies, but God wants our love and attention too. I am so guilty of this, like I said.
In Matthew 6:33 it says seek first the kingdom of God. He should be our first thought in the morning and our last thought before going to sleep. How many of us can say that He is? Honestly, I can’t.
What would our spiritual life look like if we obsessed over Jesus instead of the world? Wouldn’t that be amazing?! We would have a lot less war and strife.
So today I challenge you and I to be more obsessed with God than the world!
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.
by leaps and bounds 