Pre- Holiday Survival Kit

 6 (A)do not be anxious about anything, (B)but in everything by prayer and supplication(C)with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6(ESV)

All pictures belong to Lesli Allyn Blogs  unless otherwise stated.

The Holidays are here!  For some  this  time of  year  can  be very hectic  with  all the  planning  and  family   gatherings.   For others  it can be  a difficult   time  of year  due to  the loss  of a  loved one or  not having   family  nearby.  So today I want to encourage you briefly  as we  officially  head into the  holiday season.

Relax! Don't  over extend  yourself.  If you find that  there  are request that you simply  can't fit into your  schedule  then you need to  be  ok with saying  no.   And that's ok ,  you  cannot  be  everywhere  at once  and you cannot  be  apart of  every event  or  project.  Pace  each project out  in a  time frame that is  realistically  manageable   for you and  don't  take on so much that it takes the  fun of the experience.  The last  thing that you want  is to look back and realize that you were so anxious to make things  "perfect" that you  forgot to enjoy yourself and be  present in the moment. 

I know   that  this  time of  year can also  be  bittersweet  for  some  because  of  a loved one passing or  not  being  able to   be  with family  for the holidays.   I am  familiar with  both scenarios  and I've talked about my story  a bit more in-depth  in  a previous  blog post  called   Grieving: My  Story .    As much as we  may  look forward to the holidays  it is  also  a reminder that things are "different".  This can  be hard to  adjust to   at  first.   I want to encourage you ,  it  does  get better!  If you  give your pain over to  God he will  mend your heart and renew your broken spirit. I am living  proof of this.

My  advice  would  be to be intentional about   celebrating the   lives of the  loved one's  that  have passed; Focus  more  on the  moments that  you shared that made you happy  or  laugh and cling to that.  If you are  unable  to be  with  a  loved one this year try sending them  a small thinking of  your package, skype ,  or  write  letters to keep the flow of  communication  going so that  distance won't interfere  with creating new memories and traditions until your  circumstances change.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

Surviving Hate

 19 Don’t try to get revenge for yourselves, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. It is written, Revenge belongs to me; I will pay it back, says the Lord.[a]  Romans 12:19 (CEB)

All  pictures belong to and are edited by Lesli Allyn Blogs  unless otherwise stated.

What do you do when you  are  faced with  unfair or  unjust  circumstances?  Let's  be honest  our  first response may  be  to  go off  and  repay hate with hate. Although  doing it may feel  good  in that moment, the  truth is that  repaying hate with hate  poisons you  and  hardens your heart. Think about it this way; While we we're getting  caught up in our emotions  we  may be missing  out  on what God is trying to do through us in that moment.

Here's what  I mean by this...

It  is a  hard  concept to grasp   especially when you're  on the  receiving end of  a awful situation.  The thing is,  every battle that  we face  isn't our  battle  to fight, sometimes  we are  meant to  be a  light  in a  dark  situation.  This  may  for example  look like  being  silent in a  moment  when you  want  to  shout  or standing  firm in what God is  leading you to do even when it isn't the popular thing to do.  



Someone is  always observing  us  in one  way  or another and the grace that  you show in  a  unfavorable   situation  may  be the  only  glimpse  of  Christ that  they've  ever  witnessed for themselves. Things  will not  always  turn out  the way you may  hope that they would,  so  in those instances where you've  done  all that you  know to  do I want to  encourage you to  lean on  God and  pray,  pray , and pray some more.  From there  be patient and trust  that God will give you instructions  for  your next  steps.


 I  also  want  to mention in light of  the  what is  going on  not  only in  Ferguson but  across  america in  general,  I   realize that the  African  American  community  is  being  faced with so many unjust acts  and it seems like the  clock is being  reversed in  so many ways. In this time   It  is important for us  to  rely  on God  more than  ever and  band together  to  seek  social  change.  We are  all  angry and  feeling pressed under  the  weight of  disappoint but  I want to encourage you with the promise of  God, in  Romans 12;19  the  Lord says that  that  revenge is  his and that He  will defend us!  Stay strong   God  has things  under control.


Love,

Pursuing Peace

11  Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset?  I should put my hope in God and keep praising him,my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:11 (NCV)

All pictures belong to Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise stated

I realize  that  sadness  isn't  always  due  to   our  current circumstances; Sometimes    sadness   is  due  to  a series of  events  that have  happened  to us  over the course of  our lives.  Carrying the our brokenness  day in and  day out   can take  a  toll on us and  can leave  us feeling overwhelmed. 

 

But there  is  good news!  

God wants to  take on  all of  our  burdens and  give us  rest  in Him;  If  we  immerse  ourselves in    His  presence  and  His  word  you will find that  the Lord   is  able to restore our  hope and pull us out of  the deepest  pit.  The  Lord  has  given us  direct   access to Him through our quiet time and    prayer.    That's  why it is  so important to be intentional about setting  aside time with  the Lord so that He  can fill us up  each day.

Our daily  interaction with the  Lord is  vital to our  peace of  mind as well as our  joy. I can  tell you from my  personal  experience  with depression that  things  did not turn  around  for me until I  began to  let  go ,  stop burying my  pain  and   when I   stopped trying to  handle things on my own.  I had to  be honest with  God  about how I was  feeling by  pouring  my heart out to Him.

Remember  nothing  takes the  Lord by surprise and  He  is  able to  take on   our  messiness , our  anger and  our  pain.  Even when  our  circumstances appear  to be unmanageable,  if   we shift  our focus to  God  and his  power, everything  else  shrinks  by  comparison.   I  want  to   encourage you  today to  trust  the Lord and  exchange all that  is  consuming you  for the  peace and  victory that  He  wants you   walk in.  Keep  perusing peace through  Christ  on a  daily basis and you will find yourself  on  the other end of  sadness before you  know it.

11 I say this because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.  Jeremiah 29:11(NCV) 

Love,

Shield.Glory. Restore

3 But you, Lord, are my shield! You are my glory! You are the one who restores me.      Psalm 3:3 (CEB)

All  pictures  belong  to and are edited by Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise stated. 

Today I thought  I'd  do  something a little  different with the  blog today  by    breaking down  Psalm 3:3  a bit  and  sharing  some  of the  things that  stood  out to me  when I read it in my  personal quite time.   Also,   if  you  find a  few  jewels  within the  verse  yourself  comment  below  please  share.  I'd love to see what  God brought to your attention.  Ok so let's  get  into it.

I Declare That:  The Lord is my  shield ,   I can  take  refuge in His  presence , I can  take  comfort  and stand  firm on your  word.   There is  no  area of our  lives  where you   cannot  reach  and bring about  amazing  change.   With you nothing is  impossible, no matter what  we  go  through you are  are able to meet us there.  No  matter  how  often we  feel like   giving  up,  you  are able to  give us  the nudge and  confidence to keep moving  forward.  

His Glory:  We will  see  the Glory    of  the  Lord in every area of  our lives.  In  His sovereignty    we  are  free   and  we  have  victory over  every  attack of the enemy.   Every  attempt  to  confuse us or  distract  us from  God's  purpose  for  our life  is defeated  because once  the Lord  starts a work in us  He will see it  through to it's  completion. 

He  Restore's Me:    When  we are  broken  from  events in our lives that have   left us   feeling  defeated , lost and without any  options; God  is  able to  Restore those areas of our lives.  We  can  take  comfort   in the  fact  that   the    pain we  endured wasn't  in  vain.  God  is  able  to   use   our  circumstances to  build  our  faith  and strengthen us  so  that  in the future we  won't bend so quickly.   We  will be   confident  in the fact that  no matter what,  the  Lord    is  able to  build us  up  again  in spite  of   how  broken we  feel  in that moment  because  we know  from experience that   His  grace  is  sufficient!

9 He said to me, “My grace is enough for you, because power is made perfect in weakness.” So I’ll gladly spend my time bragging about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power can rest on me.    2 Corinthians 12:9 (CEB)

Read  Psalms  3:3  and  in the comments  below  tell me  what stood  out to you.

Love,

Don't go Chasing Perfection

23 A person’s steps are made secure by the Lord when they delight in his way.24 Though they trip up, they won’t be thrown down, because the Lord holds their hand.  Psalm 37:23-24 (CEB)

All photos are taken , edited and belong to  Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise stated.

 Perfection isn't what we  should strive  for,  after all  we are  imperfect  beings.   We will make mistakes and  God  has already given  accounts   and  the instances where we  trip up.  Our focus  should be  on  cultivating our   relationship with  Christ and  our desire to  walk out  His plan for our lives. 

We sometimes get distracted by  the appearance  of  perfection....

We  begin  to   compare ourselves, our lives and  our  relationships to  others, putting  them on  this   pedestal not knowing their  story.  The truth is  we have no clue how    they arrived  at  point the  that they are now   or  the  hard decisions  they had  to make or  even the sacrifices they may have  made.  Remember    victory  includes  our  faith being  tested and   obstacles  we have to  overcome.  No one arrives to their destination without  a story to tell.

It is important to  be  content  with your portion  and grateful for where you are  right now.  I realize every  circumstance isn't  favorable  but  everyone has to walk out their   own story and  everything  that we  go through is connected to arriving  to  our  own  individual  purpose,  stronger and   more equipped. 

You don't have to have everything together  right  now, we are  all works in progress.  But  the  wonderful thing is  that  Gods   hand is  on our lives  and   He will never  bring you to  a point where He can't  see you through.  Trust   the  Lord with  your  season, keep  pressing forward and be patient in the meantime. 

Love,

  

Loyal Followers

8 I heard what the Lord God said. He said there would be peace for his people and his loyal followers.  So they must not go back to their foolish way of living.  (Psalm 85:8 ERV)

All Pictures are taken by, belong to and are  edited by Lesli Allyn Blog unless otherwise stated.

 Our peace is connected to   consistently   following  Christ and   depending on  Him for  every area of  our lives.  The Lord wants all of  us,  not  just the  areas that  we   feel  comfortable with.  He   also   wants  the  areas of  our lives   that   are  messy , painful,  as  well  the  things we are  still holding onto in attempt  to fix  them  ourselves.

Old habits die hard  especially  without   the  Lords help in  sorting through our  mess;  We  fall short and  become  comfortable  with the sin  God  wants to free us  from.  Sometimes   as  believers we put  God into this neat little  Sunday  box   but  the Lord has  given us   open access to  His presence  through  prayer so that  we  can  draw  from  Him  daily. 

 When we  begin to  come  to God  consistently we  are   more  equipped and  less  likely  to fall into the traps of  old bad habits.  When  you   find  that  God is  tugging on your  heart  to walk away from something or  someone that   you feel you "need" it's  not   in  a effort  to punish you but  to build  you stronger so He can  push you  towards your  purpose.  In  these cases  those  old relationships or habits are  a hindrance to where He  wants to take you.

 You have to  make a decision on  what's  more  important,  the  peace that  is  attached to  following  Christ, trusting His plan  and pushing  past   old  habits  or remaining  stagnant  and  being  self  led?  Your  response is directly  connected  to how much you trust  God.  If you find yourself wrestling  with your  answer, then  I want to encourage  you ask  the Lord to  begin shifting  your perspective and  to  teach you how  to  let  go of   the  dead  areas of your life  and to breath new  life into your faith.

Love,

No Looking Back

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do:(A)forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for (B)the prize of the upward (C)call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14 ESV) 

All pictures are belong to and are edited by Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise  stated. 

You know,  in  life we  face so many different circumstances; From broken relationships,  family drama,  to financial  hardships.  It's  easy to  become  cynical  and  compare our   future to our past.   The truth is   what  separates our future from our past is our outlook.  Just because a series of   unfortunate  events happened   does not mean our  future has to play out in the same manner. 

Where is your focus, Is it on  Christ and His  abilities or   on you  and  your own  abilities ?  The  Lord is able to take all the  pieces of your  past  and  turn them into a  path that  leads you to  growth. He  will grant you  the  wisdom   that  will aide  you in  the future  but you must  be willing to shift your  focus.  Looking back on  your  past  and  thinking of ways things could have  turned out differently  will only leave you  disheartened  because  we  don't   have the power to rewrite the  past  but    putting your  trust in the Lord  will propel towards  His purpose for your  future.

  17 Therefore, if anyone is (A)in Christ, he is (B)a new creation.[a] (C)The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2Corinthians 5:17 ESV) 

There was   a  purpose for your  pain everything you've gone through served a purpose to get you  to   this  place.  I want to encourage you to see  your past  as   a  reference  point and not  your  final  destination. It is so  comforting to  know that  through  trusting  the Lord  and  His   plans  for our lives  we are able to  dust  ourselves off and   move forward with a  clean  slate.   God has  so much  more in store  for  us , more than  we  could ever begin to  wrap our  minds  around.   So don't  waste another  day  dwelling  the old  and  move  ahead .  

No looking back!

Love,

Got Guilt?

 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.  (1 John 3:20 NLT)

All Pictures are taken , edited and belong to Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise stated. 

We  have  all  done  some things that we  wish  we could have  done  differently.   For  instance, we may have  been harsh with a loved one ,  overreacted and said something that we shouldn't have or  we may have  overlooked   a  opportunity  to be there for someone who really needed us.  The weight of our  guilt  can  hit us  like a   ton of bricks and often times we  try to pick up the pieces by  trying to think of  ways we  could have  handled  things better.


Having  remorse for what you've done can begin  the process of  taking a  introspective look at ourselves and  making  necessary  changes where we need to.  What  you shouldn't do is  carry around the  burden of  guilt.  Instead    go to the Father in prayer, repent  and accept His  forgiveness. From there  ask God to lead you into your next steps.  If  you have the opportunity to make things  right then do that if not  pray for them and  God will take care of them. 



God is fully  aware of  our  weakness and where we fall short after all He  created us.  He knows exactly  how we are wired so  don't  waste time beating yourself up instead  allow  God  to pour  His wisdom into you.  I want to encourage  you  to not  allow  pride to  keep  you  stuck in time; God   has the ability  to take  those shortcomings  and  turn them in to an   opportunity  to mature you, so moving forward  you will be more sensitive to the leading of the holy spirit.

8 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,[a] who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1 NKJV )

There is no condemnation in  Christ  Jesus! This   means  we  are  free   from   carrying guilt  around with  us.  So  if we  have   prayed sincerely  for   forgiveness and  God has  extended  His grace to you then why let your  past  weigh you down?  Now that  you've  gained a  new perspective move on and  don't allow the enemy or  anyone else to remind you of your indiscretions in a effort to   keep you bound to  your past;  Instead  use your past  as a reference point of your  growth and how  God  changed you. 

Love,

Show Some Compassion #FridayQuickFix

 6 Brothers and sisters, if a person is caught doing something wrong, you who are spiritual should restore someone like this with a spirit of gentleness. Watch out for yourselves so you won’t be tempted too. (Galatians 6:1 CEB)

All pictures are taken and edited by Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise stated.

It's  amazing how God  is  able to  change us  from the inside out  and  grow us in areas where we once  struggled.  We begin to mature in Gods  word , be  more intentional about  walking out our purpose and that's great! But sometimes we  get to a  point  of  maturity  and we   develop amnesia  and forget the road we had to travel to become free.  

 For instance,  you may notice a  pattern or  behavior  in a  friend or  loved one  that they are  struggling with and  begin to judge  them harshly.   Instead of condemning them  consider yourself and   think about how patient  Jesus  was when you were  weak, fell short  and  complained when you didn't get your way.  We  all have  a  story and we all   had to go through a  process to  become more mature in our walk with  Christ.   Living for  God is  a  daily learning experience;  You don't  become saved and instantly  have it  altogether, each day we  must  seek  Christ to sustain us.

 17 Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick I’m here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit.” (Mark 2:17MSG)

So when you see  that  someone in your life is  struggling with some sort of  issue pray for them, guard you intentions by making sure that they are  pure and  finally  choose  your words wisely.  If the holy spirit  leads you to   help them remember   that  the body of  Christ is  full of broken people and Christ  came to  save and mend us  all. 

Love,

You'll Get Through It

 27 “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid. (John 14:27 GNT) 

 

All pictures are taken and edited by  Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise stated. 

The  peace that we have in Christ  Jesus  is unlike anything  you'll ever  experience .  There  is something so amazing  in the fact that  there is  no overwhelming  circumstance  where God is unable  to  calm us  and give us clear thinking.  In the midst of  dark situations God has the  ability to make things  better; With  a still  soft  voice  He assures us that He is present in this moment with us and we  don't have to have it all figured out.

Sometimes we have to step outside of ourselves to really  recognize that God is in control.   When  we  acknowledge our need for Christ we  create a  atmosphere for  the Lord to come in and pour in to us all that  we've lost and  as well as  the things we weren't aware that we  were missing. He can enable us to  stand   firm and get through whatever comes our way.

3 But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,My glory and the One who lifts up my head.4 I cried to the Lord with my voice,And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah (Psalm 3:3-4 NKJV)

 It's important to keep the line of  communication open with the Lord.  We  need   Gods  presence on a  daily basis, not just  when  things are falling apart.  Sitting  at the  foot of  the  Lord   is what will sustain us in our everyday lives so we don't fall to pieces when we  are faced with  trials.  Even when we  do fall apart we  won't  stay there because  of the foundation we're cultivating by  talking to God on a regular basis  and  meditating on His word. 

Whatever you're facing today  I encourage you to  tuck away some time to bring  all that is  on your mind and in your  heart to  God and ask that  He would relieve you and reassure you that His hand is on your life.  He will get you through  it!

Love, 

You've Changed

2 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12 )

All pictures are taken and  edited by Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise stated. 

Not  everyone will understand   your  journey  and how God is transitioning you  out of  one  season and into the next.  Often times  we  find that  people are more  eager to point out your flaws and  give   shallow advice rather  than actually supporting your growth.  Whether their intentions are  well-meaning or not,  if it doesn't line up to  where  God is leading you then  you have to use   for their input. 

 You've changed...

Great! When  God is  changing your perspective it's  inevitable  that you will change for the  better.   You've exchanged your will for  Gods.  He is   growing you in areas where you use to struggle and you're losing interest in things that  weren't  good for you. This may take some  people in your life  off guard  and  you may find that the same  people that  lectured you about your flaws will ridicule  you for   changing for the better.

 You see, when  people see something in you that they  lack within  themselves  they will attempt to knock you down  a  peg in order  to make themselves  feel better.  In this instance   resist  the urge to put them in their  place, don't take it  personally pray for them   and  stand  firm in the fact that  God  has  a plan for you  and  that he is  moving you in a  new  direction.

Transitioning  into  Gods will for your life can  be difficult and  you will experience some growing pains.  Keep in mind that  at the end of those  trials  and those  people that doubted you is  a  crown of  glory.  Keep   going , keep trusting  God and His plan for you.  He  will bring the right people and the support system you need to  move into  the next level of  your  life and your faith so don't  lose  focus.

Love,

You Win

 4 because everyone who has been born from God has won the victory over the world. Our faith is what wins the victory over the world. (1 John 5:4 GW)

All  pictures are taken and edited by Lesli Allyn Blogs unless otherwise stated 

Isn't it  amazing to know that  our faith ensures that we  win.  Even before we put fourth any effort God  meets us at the point of  our faith. With that being said, ask yourself  this;  When faced with unfavorable situations how do you react, do  you  operate in  faith or  give in to  fear?  Your answer will determine your outcome.

 6 When you ask for something, don’t have any doubts. A person who has doubts is like a wave that is blown by the wind and tossed by the sea. 7 A person who has doubts shouldn't expect to receive anything from the Lord. (James 1:6-7 GW)

As  long as we  walk this  earth we will face situations that  are  difficult.  Your  response is  important  and  key to your victory . If you're  constantly  being swayed here and there by your emotions how  do you expect  God to  move in an  area of your life  that you don't believe He can bring you through?

Worry  doesn't  accomplish  anything other than  keeping you bound  to a  situation that God wants to rescue you from. What you're going through  will not be the end of you. Take everything that  makes you anxious or   fearful and  exchange it  for Gods  ability to   completely  shift  your  circumstances. 

Will you take that first step, will you  take that leap of  faith?  Victory is   on the other side of your faith. It's what will sustain you in  hard times. God is  calling you to take  down the boundaries  you've  set up  and  begin to   see Him with new  eyes. In your weakness  Christ is  strong so focus  your attention on  Him and know that with him all you can do is  win.

Love,