Enriched!

"...in every thing ye are enriched by him..." ~ I Corinthians 1:5

Have you really thought about the fact that you are "enriched"? I've been thinking about this verse lately. It's posted on my fridge right now. If you stop and think about it, I think you'll be as thrilled as I am with all that it means! ...And I'm sure I haven't even scratched the surface in knowing all that it means!

"Enriched" is a great word that conjures up images of delight, contentment, joy, excitement... But the other words that keep standing out to me are "every thing." Every. Thing. 

This means that even the things that seem nasty, those things that bring me the opposite of joyful feelings--the very trials and testings, the very irritations and annoyances--are enriching my life in Christ!

His purpose is to conform me to the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29). Paul conveys over and over in his epistles that it is a privilege--not a curse--to suffer. He lifts up Christ as our example: "When he was reviled, {he} reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not..." (I Peter 2:21-23). How? By committing Himself to Him Who is the only perfectly Righteous Judge--God, His Father! Jesus set the example of trusting in God Who keeps all the records and justly balances everything.

In that moment of aggravation, in that moment of tension, in that very moment of stress, if I will stop, look full into the wonderful face of Jesus, and--for real!--commit myself to His Father (my Father), the Righteous and Just Judge of the whole earth, peace will flood my soul. In that moment of surrender and yielding to whatever He is doing in my life through that irritation or negative experience, I can actually experience joy!

It helps me to remember that my Father God has a helicopter view of my entire life from conception to death. He knows the reason that I need this thorn in my flesh, for His glory and also for my ultimate good. Not only that, but He has a helicopter view of the entire history of the world--past, present, and future--and knowing that, He works ALL things together for good to them that love Him, those He has called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)!

What a place of refuge! What a place to rest! Leaning on His everlasting arms that will never fail (Deuteronomy 33:27), that will never withhold from me anything that is good for me (Psalm 84:11), the arms that have never lost a victory (Joshua 1:3, Psalm 98:1)! I can trust Jesus! He loves me, and He takes care of me. 

Won't you choose to believe for today that you are enriched by Him in every thing?

Greatly Blessed

Greatly blessed and highly favoured,

Imperfect, but forgiven child of God!
©2010, William J. Gaither, Inc.





We are so blessed


By the gifts from Your hand


I just can't understand


Why You've loved us so much


We are so blessed


We just can't find a way


Or the words that can say


Thank You Lord for Your touch



We are so blessed


By the things You have done


The vict'ries we've won


And what You've brought us through


We are so blessed


Take what we have to bring


Take it all ev'rything


Lord we bring it to You



When we're empty
You fill us

'Til we overflow


When we're hungry


You feed us

And cause us to know


We are so blessed


Take what we have to bring


Take it all ev'rything


Lord we love You so much

©1982, William J. Gaither, Inc.

This is the song that played as I walked down the boardwalk at our beach wedding ceremony to marry my love nearly four years ago. 

We are still so blessed!

Second-hand Blessing

Those who know me are quite familiar with the fact that I love to shop at second-hand clothing stores. For over a year I had been looking for an aqua-blue sweater to go with a skirt someone had purchased for me. I had just been wearing the skirt with a black top and aqua jewellery, but having aqua in the plaid, it really needed more of an aqua accent than the jewellery could provide. I just didn't want to pay $40-60 for a sweater!

Well, I made several trips to Valu-Village and one day the Lord had a perfect aqua sweater for me... perfect, except that all but two buttons were missing! I asked for a discount and got the sweater for around $3. Next stop: Fabricland! I selected the buttons I wanted (silver vintage, to coordinate with the buttons on the skirt), sewed them on at home while watching the news, and voila! I had a new outfit for under $10!

I'm so thankful God cares about the little things, aren't you?!

The Joy of Discovery

Life is an adventure.

My granddaughter Kyla is teaching me more and more about this. Too many times I get so caught up with the "shoulds" and "have-to's" of life that I forget to enjoy the beauty God placed all around me. Flowers. Trees. Animals. Clouds. I neglect to notice the intangibles with which God has blessed me. Love. Acceptance. Security.

The Truth says He "daily loadeth us with benefits" (Psalm 68:19)! That means that every day a TON more blessings are there that I did not even see!

I think I'll head out on a journey of discovery today. Talk to you later...

Hey, come back and tell me what you discovered and thanked God for today.

I Am Loved

I am continually struck by how quickly this world's philosophies can affect my mind, convincing me that I have to get my identity from my accomplishments or from others' approval. There is not a day that goes by that I don't need God's Word to get my head screwed back on straight!

Jeremiah 9:23-24 says, "Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mightly man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment [justice], and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD."

I have nothing to be lastingly happy and joyful about outside of God. Everything I have is from Him!

I like what Wilma Sullivan says in her book, A Song for All Seasons:

"This old world tells us that we have to get our identity, our "self-image," from what we do. Therefore, we can have self-esteem or feel good about ourselves if we do good, important and worthwhile things. In that reasoning, people can glory in being professionals (teachers, doctors, real estate agents, etc.), in doing what they do as a career. They can glory in the talents or characteristics they display (as musicians, artists, athletes, gourmet cooks, or having a good figure or great strength, etc.). They can glory in what they've acquired (money and other possessions). Or they can glory in the responsibilities they fulfill and in the people who need or respect them (parenting, church work, civic duties, children, friends, etc.).

"But God clearly tells us that we can't glory in any of those things. Either they will puff us up in pride (as we try to take the credit for God-given talents, possessions, opportunities, etc.), or they will fail us. We can lose jobs and money, and we certainly can lose our figures. People may not appreciate our talents. And regardless of our self-discipline, we still blow it at times when it comes to our responsibilities and relationships. To disregard God's direction and try to find our self-worth in such things is downright foolish.

"What's more, when we try to find our identity in what we do, sinful behavior becomes a part of that identity. What I mean is that when we as Christians allow sin to beset us, we think of that sin as a part of who we are, and thus we have to take the label of sin. We tie our weaknesses to our self-concept... We sink into despair and defeat because, in our flesh, we think that God couldn't love us as we are.

"Hey, wait a minute! Nothing can separate us from the love of God!... We play right into the devil's hands when we think our identity comes from all those things we do or have. Satan knows that we're looking for victory and acceptance in all the wrong places, and he wants to keep us in the dark." (pages 82-83)

No! Christ Himself is my life (Colossians 3:3-4)! I am complete in Him (Colossians 2:10)! My past is gone and all things are new (II Corinthians 5:17)! I am blessed with all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3)! He always makes me triumph (II Corinthians 2:14)!

I'm not defeated. I'm not a failure. I'm not stupid. I'm not defined by my accomplishments, or lack of accomplishments. My identity is in CHRIST. In HIM I live, and move, and have my being (Acts 17:28)!

REMEMBER: Satan knows that we're looking for victory and acceptance in all the wrong places, and he wants to keep us in the dark.

Don't let him win! I'm so glad that in Christ I find complete acceptance and unconditional love. He is constantly pursuing a closer, more intimate relationship with ME! I love Him because He first loved me (I John 4:19)! That makes my service for Him special; it's given out of love, not as an effort to try to gain His acceptance! I already have His acceptance!



I am unconditionally loved: knowing and accepting this gives me true joy!

Blessed Is She

"And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord." (Luke 1:45)

Are you a woman who BELIEVES God? You have a promise that God will come through. God calls you blessed!

"Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me." (Isa. 43:10)

What promises has God given you in the past? God has given us "exceeding great and precious promises." (II Pet. 1:4) Have you kept track of these promises? Do you mark them in your Bible or keep a spiritual journal of how God speaks to you?

It is a wonderful blessing when you look back and see the promises that God has fulfilled! A few years ago I read a book called God Can Make It Happen by Russ Johnston. He illustrated a prayer list idea of which I had never heard: Keep track of specific prayer requests—even seemingly insignificant things—you are bringing to God, along with the date you began praying for it. Johnston suggests a three-month prayer list: put a date heading to your list and review it every three months; then make a new list. When you review it, go through and highlight or circle in red ink all the requests that God has answered.

It is quite amazing to look back and see how God has worked in your life over a three-month period! So many answers to prayer we take for granted, merely because we forgot that we ever asked God for them!

How much more of a promise could a woman want than "...there shall be a performance of those things..."?!

A few years ago, I entered a crisis in my life that I never dreamed I would face. The bottom fell out of my world, and I felt very forsaken and grieved in spirit. I was a youthful wife who was refused, just as Israel was when God spoke to her as a nation in Isaiah 54:6.

At that time, God gave me Isaiah chapter 54 as a promise of what He had in store for me. In verse four, He promised me that I would not be ashamed, that I would forget the shame of my youth, and would "not remember the reproach of [my] widowhood anymore."

It is thrilling to look back through my journals and see just how God has come through with that promise! It is exciting to look at my life and see how God has fulfilled His promises to me, just as He promised me in verse one that I, the barren woman, would sing because I would have more children as a woman who never had any children of her own than the "married wife" would have.

How I thank God that His Holy Spirit enabled me to BELIEVE Him! I claimed those precious promises, and now I am blessed with many spiritual blessings, as well as a wonderful husband, three children, and a grandbaby. God did not give them to me the way that I would have planned, but the further along I get in life, I realize that His way was the best way. I notice just how He has worked "all things together for good" (Rom. 8:28).

Is God asking YOU to BELIEVE Him?